Daga Dzong

Daga Dzong Fortress in Bhutan

Daga Dzong (Fortress)

Located in Dagana, the Dagana Dzong is the headquarters for district administration and houses the clergy.

The name ‘Dagana’ is derived from the words – Darkala and Darkarnang. The former refers to the province’s guardian deity – Jomo Darkala and the latter means ‘The Realm of White Prayer Flags’.

The Daga Dzong used to be the office of the Daga Penlop who held the rank of cabinet minister under the Desi (temporal ruler) system of government introduced by the Zhabdrung.

Zhabdrung managed to unify most of western Bhutan by mid-17th century but the central, eastern and southern parts still remained so he deputized Dronyer Druk Namgyel to bring the area under Drukpa rule. Thus, the Dronyer starting constructing the dzong in 1949. Two years later it was completed.