Namsey Lhakhang
Situated on the fifth floor is the chapel of the God of Wealth. This gallery contains a wide range of Mahayana Buddhist sculptures in clay and metal that Bhutanese people propitiate for wealth, long life, compassion, and wisdom. On one wall there is a selection of slate carvings. Held within glass cases around the room is a wide range of Buddhist metal sculptures in bronze and copper dating from the 13th to 20th centuries. Some of the deities represented are Avalokiteshvara, Green Tara, White Tara, Manjushri, and Maitreya.
The large figure in the center of the room is a clay image of Gyalpo Namthoedsey ‘Dharmapala’ surrounded by other small figures on horseback. These figures represent the eight manifestations of the central figure. These manifestations face the four cardinal directions. Each individual holds in a right hand a neuli or mythical mongoose emitting a jewel from its mouth, symbolising wealth. According to the Mahayana tradition, this god is the guardian of wealth as well as the Great King of the North. He resides on Mount Sumeru, the central world mountain in Buddhist cosmology. This image and its attendants were created in the 1970s by a renowned Bhutanese artist.
