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This modest temple marks the site of the palace of Sindhu Raja, the Indian king who first invited Guru Rinpoche to Bhutan. The original palace, said to be made of iron (the name means "iron castle") and nine stories high, was once located here. The present building was constructed in the 14th century by Dorji Lingpa.
The fortress was constructed in 1667, but rebuilt after being severely damaged in an earthquake in 1897. It is one of the largest and most impressive dzongs in Bhutan and houses the administrative and monastic offices for the Bumthang district.
Burning Lake
The place where the 15th century Bhutanese spiritual-treasure discoverer Pema Lingpa famously dived into a river gully with a burning lamp, and later returned with a number of hidden scriptural treasures (Tib:terma) and with the lamp still burning – hence the name of the site, Membartsho - Burning Lake.