Jakar

Jakar (Dzongkha: བྱ་ཀར་, romanized: Bya-kar) is a town in the central-eastern part of Bhutan. It is the main town of Bumthang District and home to an important building called Jakar Dzong. This big fortress is used for important meetings and traditions.

The name Jakar means "white bird." This name comes from an old story. Long ago, people were looking for a good place to build a monastery. Legend says that when a white bird landed in one spot, it was a sign that this was the right place to build. This helped the town get its special name.

Today, Jakar is an important place for the people of Bhutan. It helps connect different parts of the country and holds many traditions that are important to the culture and history of Bhutan.

History

Further information: Bumthang Kingdom and Bumthang Province

Jakar has a small temple called Chakhar Lhakhang. It marks where a ruler invited a wise teacher to Bhutan. The temple was built later by a teacher named Dorje Lingpa.

The town's name, Jakar, means “white bird.” The name comes from a story about a white bird that appeared long ago. The bird showed the best place to build a monastery around the year 1549. Nearby are many important places from Buddhist history. These include temples with special prints left by the teacher Guru Rinpoche and monasteries said to have been built quickly by a wise king. From Jakar, you can also see a large school for monks.

Geography

Jakar is a town in the Bumthang (Choekhor) Valley in the Chhoekhor Gewog area of central Bumthang. Though it is a small town called a thromde, the main office for the Choekhor Gewog is just north of Jakar. North of the town is Wangchuck Centennial Park, a special protected area of Bhutan.

The town has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwb).

Transport

Jakar is connected by a road that links to Bhutan's main highway, called the Lateral Road.

The town has Bathpalathang Airport. The airport was part of Bhutan’s government plans from 2008. It opened its first flights in December 2011, which was an important moment for Bhutan because it happened on the country's national day. However, the first commercial flight did not make a profit.

Main sights

Jakar Dzong

Built in 1667, Jakar Dzong sits on a hill above the town of Jakar. This large fortress, also called a dzong, is now used for important government work. It might be the largest dzong in Bhutan, with a size of more than 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) around.^: 168

Tourism

Jakar is in the large, green Bumthang (Choekhor) Valley, which makes it a popular place for visitors. Because of this, the town has many nice hotels, craft shops, and guest houses.

The market, called the bazaar, is found on a street with one-story buildings in a part of town named Chamkhar. Plans were made to build a new market with three-story traditional buildings in an area called Dekiling.

Culture

Jakar is part of the culture of eastern Bhutan, just like nearby areas. The main language used in schools and offices is Dzongkha, but people in Jakar also speak local languages such as Bumthang and Brokkat. One special thing about Jakar is that it is well-known across Bhutan for making bright, colorful woven wool items called yethra.

Schools

There are 19 schools in the area. Two are higher secondary schools, three are middle secondary schools, and two are lower secondary schools. The rest are community schools.