Belief: Surrounded by colorful prayer flags, the thrichu (blessed water) located right beside the farm road at Manichu in Radhi is a hot spot for people of Trashigang and neighboring dzongkhags.

Blessed by His Eminence, the late Dungtse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche in 2009, the thrichu is believed to treat ailments and cleanse one of his or her defilements.

People from all walks of life visit the thrichu to either bathe or to drink from a tap stand that was constructed to tap water from the main source situated about 200 meters upstream.

Norbu Wangdi, 42, from Tongling chiwog reminisces a time when he was down with fever and backache for almost two weeks. After medical treatment didn’t do any good, he decided to bathe at the thrichu.

“After taking bath for a couple of times, I started feeling better. I make sure to frequently visit Manichu every year,” he said. “For body aches and joint pains, most villagers prefer the thrichu.”

Khenpo of Thegchog Kuenzang Choden Nunnery, Thubten Ngyendang said that the late Dungtse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche was on his way to the nunnery when he noticed a spring running across the paddy fields through a bamboo shoot.

“Rinpoche conducted a tashi rabney and blessed the spring water; he said it would benefit the villagers,” he said. “The elders started believing and it has helped a lot of people suffering from body aches, skin diseases and wounds.”

Soon words of the blessed water spread across other gewogs. “During holidays and auspicious days, a lot of people turn up,” the Khenpo said.

An 82 year-old villager said the spring water existed for as long as he could remember but the healing power of the water started after Dungtse Rinpoche blessed it.

“Even when other streams and water sources start drying after the harvest season, the blessed water keeps flowing throughout the year,” he said. “People from as far as Mongar visit the place and they keep coming back.”

Radhi gup Jigmi Namgyal said that after more and more people started visiting, the community built a small tank at the source and connected pipes until the road point.

“We then constructed the tap stand and walls around it so people could bathe comfortably,” he said. “Though we hear about people getting cured by the water, there are others who still remain skeptical about its healing powers.”

Tshering Wangdi,  Trashigang