Fortresses, Monasteries & Captivating Scenaries
One of my dreams came true last month when I visited Bhutan that boasts of a high Gross National Happiness. We were a group of 11 school mates.Though I had initiated the idea I almost did not make it because my air ticket from Calcutta to Paro in Bhutan was not confirmed by the travel agent, though others in the group had confirmed tickets. When I had almost given up hope he managed to get me a Business Class ticket, just the evening before the departure date and I was off on my dream trip with my group
On day one of our
arrival at the beautiful Paro International airport we were met by our guide
`Tashi`-a knowledgeable, friendly and articulate young man. The first
impression of Bhutan is the peace and tranquility that you experience when you
come out of the Paro airport and weather only adds to
the ethereal experience. Unlike my experiences of visiting
Himalayas on pilgrimages to Badrinath or Mukthinath, when I felt a fear of the
unknown dogging me all through, the visit to Bhutan was a very pleasant and
relaxing experience.
The guide` told us
that we would be visiting a few interesting places before reaching Thimphu, the
capital city. Our first halt was at the National Museum located in the watch
tower (Ta Dzong) of Paro Dzong. On display were many artifacts used by the
Bhutanese over the years.
After the Museum we
were taken to Paro Rinpung Dzong a fortress built by the founding father of
Bhutan, S N Namgyel, in 1646. The fortress houses the administrative seat of
the district Paro and the district Monk body with about 200 monks. The central
tower of the fortress is one of the most beautiful in Bhutan known for its
excellent wood work.
The winding road to
Thimpu following the famous Paro River offers some breath-taking scenery. We
also stopped at Tamchhog Lhakang, a private temple for Buddha owned by the
residents of the famous Tibetan bridge builder Thongten Gyalop.
At Thimphu our first
visit was to see the impressive
Trashichoe Dzong. This massive Fortress located close to the Bhutanese
Parliament and the Palace of the King (closed to public) houses part of the
government ministries, office of the King and the Throne Room. A part of the
fortress also houses the State monastic body, the office and the living
quarters of the Chief Abbot. Since it was late evening, the beautifully illuminated
exterior of the fortress was like a scene from a dream world.
On the second day, post breakfast,
we visited Kuenselphordang to see the 169 ft high sitting Golden Buddha statue weighing 40 tons. It was made in China and
imported in several parts which were assembled together at the site. This imposing statue built a decade
ago has become the new tourist attraction in Thimphu.
Next was an Institute
offering training in Bhutanese arts and crafts. With the slogan `Get skilled.
Be somebody`, the Institute teaches tailoring, painting, carpentry, silver
smithy and sculpturing.
This was followed by a
visit to the local Zoo to see the national animal of Bhutan -Takin. A local
legend talks about how the Bhutanese national animal was created from the
remains of a lunch eaten by the Divine Madman. He combined the skeletons of a
cow and goat and brought them back to life with a loud belch; the animal came
to be known as Takin. This Divine Madman called LAM DRUKPA KINLEY was a
Buddhist saint who lived in 15th Century Bhutan. He claimed to have
powers to drive away evil spirits and also bless childless couples with
children. He is worshipped even today as a `Divine Madman`. His symbol is a
`Phallus`. Like the `Lingam` is the symbol of Lord Shiva. There were large size `Phalluses` on display at the `Simply
Bhutan` pavilion we visited next. Simply Bhutan` is an attempt to transplant a typical village home at the
pavilion portraying ancient Bhutanese architecture and displaying age old life
styles of the Bhutanese people.
It is in this venue
that we also saw in action 35 years old Pema Tshering, a cerebral Palsy person
without hands, creating beautiful paintings using his feet. Scores of his paintings
were on sale in the shop where he was creating his master pieces! It seems he
has also won medals in Archery competitions for disabled; a very inspiring
story. The second day ended with a visit to the Memorial Chorten, a tall stupa
built in memory of the third King of Bhutan, located in the heart of the city.
On third day morning
we were off to Punakha, the old capital city, driving through Dochu La, a 3140
meters high street pass. This location is also the venue of a collection of 108
miniature chortens (stupas) built in 2005. These stupas were
built in memory of Bhutanese soldiers who were killed in thwarting an
incursion by Bodos who were trying to occupy some of Bhutan's territories. Later we visited ChimiLhakang, a
temple founded by the `Divine Madman` and built in 1499.
Another place on the
way to Punakha was Punakha Dzong (Fortress) that lies between the two rivers
known as Pochu & Mochu or ` Male River & Female River`. Built by the
founding father of Bhutan, Punakha today is the winter residence of the central
monk body and holds the famous relic known as `RajungKhasarpani`, where there
is informative display of paintings depicting the life story of Sakayamuni
Buddha.
Next morning we were
on our way to visit KHAMSUM YULLEYNAMGYAL CHORTEN (Stupa).To reach this four
storey temple we had to cross a suspension bridge and walk through rice fields
before we started climbing a moderately inclined trail surrounded by Pine trees.
This temple stands majestically on a strategic ridge over the Punakha valley. In
building this temple, considered a splendid example of Bhutanese architectural and
artistic traditions the Bhutanese craftsmen consulted holy scriptures rather
than engineering manuals! Built by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, the temple is
dedicated to the well being of the Kingdom and its people. We proceeded to
Paro, a three hour drive, very close to the Paro Airport.
On the fifth day in Bhutan, we were originally
scheduled to visit `The Tiger`s Nest`-referring to the gravity defying cluster
of buildings housing the historical Takshang Monastery, perched on a rocky
ledge with a sheer drop of nearly 800ft. Built in 1692, around the Taktshang Samdup
cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated for three months in the 8th
century and introduced Buddhism to Bhutan. In view of our group`s ( all
septuagenerians) reluctance to take the risk involved in the steep climb to
reach the venue, the Guide took us to a point on the road from where we could
have long distance view of the` Tigers Nest` seen as three white dots on top of
the mountain. We used the free time available to go to `Chelela` the highest
point on Dantak Road located at an altitude of over 12,000 ft.. We returned to
Paro city centre and visited the oldest Buddhist temple located in the heart of
the city.
Though Bhutan is
famous for its pungent food, because of the prior arrangements made by the
guide, we were offered specially cooked meals with less chilly in all the restaurants we
visited.The icing on the cake for our group was the availability of a cup of
curd with every meal. What more does a Tambrahm group need - getting
`Thayir Sadam` with every meal, in Bhutan!
The official tour
ended with all of us shopping for curios in memory of our visit to `Beautiful
Bhutan`
Some useful tips for the tourists:
Indians
don`t need Visas but have to carry a valid Passport which is checked at the
Airport by Immigration & Customs officials in Bhutan.
Indian
Rupees are accepted in Bhutan at par value. You can carry only up to Rs. 25,000
in cash. This rule is not strictly
enforced. All credit cards are accepted. Limited number of ATMs is also found.
Not
allowed to take photos inside any of the Buddhist temples.
Druk
Airways & Bhutan Airlines are the only two airlines operating in and out of
Paro International Airport.
March-June
and September-December are the best time to visit Bhutan. Good to carry an
umbrella as sudden rains are common even during peak seasons!
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