When Jigme Namgyal, the father of the First King Ugyen Wangchuk was waging a war against Tshokye Dorji and Tsondrue Gyaltshen, he used the place called Samkhar as his military base. After he won the war, he built his residence there and called it Wangdicholing. The place became the main seat of government during the reign of the First and Second Kings of Bhutan. However, in the last sixty years, the place has faced some decline although it still stands as one of the monarchial monuments in Bumthang.