Famous story of Gasa Lamai Singye and Changyul bum Galem

Gasa lamai singye is a love story of Singye and Galem. Story took place during the 18th century. Singye was serving as civil servant and Galem was staying at home. Two of them were strongly connected to eachother. One day singye had to leave the place and had to go with lama (abbot of Gasa) to work for lama.

Galem was left alone back at home and later it was known that she was pregnant. Later her news of getting pregnant was heard by her parents and she was send out from house. She had a tough time loitering around the places without proper food and clothing. Once she sat beside the river bank to see anyone heading Gasa. After sometime later she sees some one going Gasa. She then sings a song stating that she is suffering and if you are going Gasa please inform my singye to come back to her. The man carries her message and informed to singye about Galem’s situation down in Punakha. Singye couldn’t bear the pain and he rush towards Punakha. When Singye reach to Punakha he finds out that Galem is no more. He sees her death body on fire in cremation ground, Singye couldn’t bear the pain and jumped into the fire with Galam. 

If the story had happened this days the situation might have turn into different story. There was no phone to call. No proper channel to send message and yet their bond was so strong that only death could apart them from each other. This story is well known among the people of WESTERN Bhutan. Bhutan film industry made many movies of Gasa Lamai Singye And Galem.   Their bond of love towards each other are so much popular and famous among Bhutanese people. Singay and Galeem is considered as a Romeo and Juliet of Bhutan. We can still see Galeem’s ruin house at punakha(Changyul). The story of Singye and Galeem doesn’t end here, it is said that they have reborn at different place in different form where they never were able to be together.

 

In 1989, Ugyen India directed Gasa Lamai Singye, the first, pioneer Bhutanese feature film. Gasa Lamai Singye, a tragic love story reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, had a remake in 2016, directed by Sonam Lhendup Tshering. Wangdi went on to direct several documentary films. His Yonten Gi Kawa (Price of Knowledge, 1998) was the first documentary made in Bhutan, and followed the daily life of a 11-year-old boy at home and school. It was followed by Yi Khel Gi Kawa (Price of A Letter, 2004), where Wangdi tells the story of a postal runner who worked throughout Bhutan for 26 years.

Besides the famous love story of Changyul Galem and Gasa Lamai Singye, the house is a repository of rich cultural history often not heard of

Just a kilometer north from Punakha Dzong and adjacent to the road, lies the famous house of Galem at Changyul in Punakha.

At a first glance, Galem’s house looks like another one of those huge, dilapidated Bhutanese houses that are crumbling down due to neglect.

While many Bhutanese are familiar with the unfortunate and tragic love story of Gasa Lamai Singye and Changyul Bum Galem (The Romeo and Juliet of Bhutan), a few Bhutanese know the important cultural aspects of the three-storied Galem’s house, which still exists today.

Punakha’s Cultural Officer Sangay Wangmo said although the house is in danger of collapsing on the outside, it would actually last as the walls were made of rammed earth.

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