Drolma Podrang

Drolma Podrang in Tibet

Drolma Podrang (Tib. སྒྲོལ་མ་ཕོ་བྲང་, Wyl. sgrol ma pho brang) — one of the two remaining branches of the Khön family lineage of the Sakya school. It was also the name for its physical residence (or palace, Tib. podrang) in Tibet.

During the fourteenth century, Tishri Kunga Lodrö Gyaltsen (1299-1327), eldest grandson of Sakya Pandita's brother, established four dynastic houses (Tib. lhabrang):

• Shyithok (Wyl. bzhi thog),
• Rinchen Gang (Wyl. rin chen sgang),
• Lhakhang (Wyl. lha khang), and
• Düchö (Wyl. dus mchod).

Only the Düchö Labrang remains to this day. During the eighteenth century, the Düchö Labrang was split into two 'cousin' palaces, by 32nd Sakya Trizin Wangdü Nyingpo, known as the:

• Drolma Podrang and
• Phuntsok Podrang.

The Drolma Podrang was established by Sakya Trizin Jamgön Wangdü Nyingpo's eldest son, Pema Düdul Wangchuk, while the Phunstok Podrang was established by his youngest son, Kunga Rinchen.

The leadership in the Khön Family and the throneholders of the Sakya school have since then alternated between the Drolma and Phuntsok Podrangs.

H.H. the 41st Sakya Trizin, Kyabgon Gongma Trichen Rinpoche, is the current head of the Drolma Podrang at Rajpur, India, and his son, Kyabgon Gongma Trizin Rinpoche, is the current throneholder of the Sakya school.