Monasteries have played significant role in the birth and spread of Buddhism in Bhutan since ancient times. Bumthang district in central Bhutan has some of the ancient monasteries in the country and many of them are in need of restoration and conservation however due to lack of proper documentation the government and the scholars are not aware of them. The ruin of Samtencholing Monastery at Gaytsa Village under Chumme Gewog is one of the important Buddhist sites in the cultural landscape of the country. This study documents the existing ruins and traces the original form of the monastery and connects it to Kunkhen Longchen Rabjampa the founder of the Nyingthing (heart essence) tradition in Bhutan, one of the greatest of all Nyingma masters of Mahayana Buddhism. The paper attempts to reconstruct the monastery’s ruin to its original form through drawings and three dimensional views. The research recommends the need to restore the monastery to enrich community vitality and boost pilgrimage tourism in the locality.

architectural documentation, Kunkhen Longchen Rabjampa, ruins, restoration, Samtencholing monastery