Gom Kora

Bhutan

Pilgrims squeeze through a narrow cleft in a great black rock to test the weight of their sins — at a temple where the saint who brought Buddhism to Bhutan is said to have tamed a demon.

Set on a small green plain beside the Drangme Chhu in eastern Bhutan, Gom Kora is a revered temple built around a towering black rock where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated and subdued a demon. Sacred imprints and miraculous "test" features draw pilgrims, who climb a narrow rock passage to cleanse their sins and trace the marks left in the stone. Each spring, the lively Gom Kora festival fills the grounds with Sharchop pilgrims, masked dances and — by tradition — the courtship of young people. Among the most storied temples in Bhutan, Gom Kora Trashigang is bound to Guru Rinpoche Bhutan. Gomphu Kora Bhutan ranks high among things to do in Trashigang and places to visit in eastern Bhutan. Plan your visit via the official Bhutan Tourism portal: bhutan.travel.

March to May and September to November; time a spring trip for the vibrant Gom Kora festival and its masked dances.

If the festival draws you, confirm the exact dates first as they shift each year with the lunar calendar — walk a clockwise circuit of the sacred rock as pilgrims do, dress modestly and remove footwear to enter, and go with a local guide who can recount the Guru Rinpoche legend and the meaning of each rock "test".

This attraction can be easily woven into BreakBag Holidays' customised Bhutan tour packages, pairing Gom Kora with Trashigang Dzong, Merak-Sakteng and eastern Bhutan's sights.

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