Bhutan 2025 - Aum Jomo ceremony in Merak

A return visit to Bhutan, this time starting from the eastern side and visiting the isolated village of Merak (just over 3500 meters) in the Trashigang district. The people here are widely known as Brokpa, meaning 'highlander'. Aum Jomo is a revered female protector deity and guardian goddess worshipped primarily by the semi-nomadic Brokpa people in the Merak and Sakteng regions of eastern Bhutan. She is believed to reside atop Jomo Kukhar mountain, protecting the community from misfortune, and is often associated with the protective deity Sungma Jomo Remati. Once a year a high lama comes out to officiate the ceremony to honor the protectors.