The Burning Lake – Bhutan – Atlas Obscura

Though it’s known as Mebar Tsho, or “the Burning Lake,” this sacred site is not quite a lake at all, but rather a pool along a river in the Tang Valley. According to legend, it contained a hidden holy treasure uncovered magically by one of Bhutan’s most important religious figures in the late 1400s.

Terton Pema Lingpa is thought to have been the reincarnation of Padmasambhava, an ancient guru also known as the Second Buddha. According to religious tradition, in the 8th century Padmasambhava hid secret teachings containing Buddhist wisdom for terton, treasure-revealers like Pema Lingpa, to unearth in the future so his principles could live on.

In the 15th century, Terton Pema Lingpa had a vision that treasure was hidden in a pool where the Tang Chhu River widens. When the locals questioned the validity of his prediction, he submerged himself in the water holding a butter lamp and resurfaced with a chest and a scroll, the lamp still aflame. From then on, the pool became known as Mebar Tsho, or the Burning Lake.

The Burning Lake is subsequently one of the region’s most sacred places, and a pilgrimage site for many Bhutanese people. Colorful prayer flags fly around an altar dedicated to Terton Pema Lingpa, and butter lamps can be found scattered on the riverbanks as offerings.

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