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Thimpu

 

Thimpu being the capital city is in the midst of hustle bustle and town is crowded with people and cars. With a population of merely 7 lakhs, however, the crowd is merely minimal when compared to other cities :). The center of town has myriad handicraft stores where one can shop for Bhutanese and Tibetan souvenirs. A day, at the most a day and a half is sufficient in Thimpu. Places worth visiting in Thimpu are Buddha Point, which has the largest sitting Buddha at a height of 169 feet (51.5 meters). Serene and peaceful, one gets a beautiful view of the city and the famous Buddha Dordenma, a colossal version of Shakyamuni made in bronze and gold. The Coronation Park has a Walking Buddha as well, larger than life. 

 

All the other landmarks in the city are in close proximity and one can explore the city on foot, as long as the weather is permitting. During our visit, the Thimpu Tshechu festival was on, and we got an opportunity to witness the Bhutanese folk dances at Trashichhodzong. The festivals honor Guru Rimpoche also known as Padma Sambhawa, who introduced Buddhism in Bhutan in the 8th Century. Despite the incessant rain that day, Bhutanese people were dressed in their finest attire, celebrating their traditions and history with joy and fervor. The king lives close by to the Thimpu Dzong and very recently insisted that tourists coming to the festival should hire a guide as a few tourists had lost their way and ended up at the King’s house instead!

 

Built in 1974, the National Memorial Chorten honors the memory of the third Dragon King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. Considered the Father of Modern Bhutan, he ruled Bhutan for a span of 20 years (1952-1972). King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk focused on the development of the nation, while preserving the inherent culture and traditions. He envisioned preserving Bhutan’s natural environment and founded the Manas sanctuary in 1966. He set the tone of democratization and established a National Assembly in 1953, so that the people of the country had a platform to express their opinions and concerns. These practices continue even today, with the present King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, embodying his grandfather’s vision.

 

We stayed at Khang Heritage, an apartment booked through Air Bnb. It was located behind a hotel called Khang Residency, and was perfectly situated. A five-minute walk led us to Changangkha, a dzong located high up. With a picturesque view of Thimpu and the tranquility of the monastery, we embraced what the city offered and enjoyed our time, while engaging in conversation with the monks. I observed several people turning each prayer wheel while orally reciting their prayers. According to Buddhist beliefs, spinning each wheel seems to make wishes and desires come true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Punakha

 

At a distance of 85.9 kilometers, Punakha is almost a three-hour drive from Thimpu. Better roads could help in reducing the time that it takes to reach Punakha. There was ongoing construction as we drove through and hopefully the road renovations will be completed sooner than later. The drive to Punakha is remarkable and with each turn, stunning views are revealed. A pit stop at Dochula Pass, which is at an elevation of 10,171 feet, is essential as nothing can replace the experience of sipping coffee while sitting amidst the clouds and spectacular background. I could have spent hours soaking in the post-rain sun, staring far away into the depths of the valley, mountains and water, almost becoming one with nature. As we drove through, we witnessed the 108 chortens that were built to honor those who fought to protect the nation.

 

The Puna Tsang Chhu River runs through Punakha and as one descends into the valley, the weather starts to become warm and tropical. The Punakha Dzong is located in the old town, surrounded by two rivers, Mochhu and Pochhu and is a monastery worth visiting. Crossing over the bridge takes one inside the Dzong, which was built in 1637. Over the years, it has been restored and has beautiful carvings inside, a golden statue of Buddha and the Dharmachakra, wheel of life. The wheel of life signifies the cycle of life, birth and suffering and is connected to the eight-fold path that Buddha undertook to achieve spiritual enlightenment.

 

The new town, Kuruthang, is recommended for restaurants, however, the stretch that we visited seemed to have limited options. It’s possible that the person who was driving us didn’t know where to go. We did end up eating at a place that was located above a series of shops, where Maggie (noodles) was the best go-to. A Government policy ensures that all eating joints are situated on the first floor, instead of the ground, to safeguard the food from dust and dirt. We decided to undertake our return journey the very same day, however, I would recommend staying a night at Punakha, close to the river and unwinding with the scenic beauty for company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paro

 

Since, the flight out is from Paro, the only airport in Bhutan, it’s best to leave Paro for the end. A 1.5 hours drive from Thimpu, Paro is less habited and gorgeous. The fact that there’s water running through the valley, River Paro Chhu, makes it even more marvelous. We spent a day visiting the Dzongs in Paro such as the Rinpung Dzong, Dungtshe Dzong and Drukgyel Dzong, a fort that celebrates Bhutan’s victory over Tibetan forces and is currently in ruins as well as the National Museum. The National Museum provides insight into the cultural and political history of Bhutan in addition to the vision of environmental conservation. An entire room is dedicated to the myriad masks that define Bhutanese culture and often represent Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) and other deities. These masks are embodied by dancers with an aim of driving away the evil spirit and demons and unifying people.

 

Moreover, Atsara or Clown is an iconic mask in Bhutan. With a façade of humor and comicality, Atsara is actually considered most enlightened. Atsara is used to initiate conversations that could be uncomfortable for people such as condom campaigns to promote safe sex as well as fostering the well being of people by supporting anti-smoking campaigns. Atsara’s tool could very well be considered the phallus, which is a distinct symbol in Bhutan. Stemming from the mad saint, Lama Drukpa Kunley in the 15-16th century because of the way he taught, traditionally, the phallus symbolizes driving away gossip and the evil eye.  

 

Of course, the most characteristic Dzong in Paro is the Taktsang Monastery located at an elevation of 10,240 feet. Halfway to the monastery is a cafeteria, where one can break for coffee/tea while enjoying a closer view of the Tiger’s Nest. It’s a long and steep climb, but extremely rewarding when one reaches the top. At the culmination of the climb are a series of never-ending steps which in retrospect I would advise skipping. A few steps down and one can get the best view of the Monastery. It’s considered a sacred visit, however, there is nothing monumental that one misses inside the Monastery. There are small prayer rooms spread across inside the Dzong to pay your respects, if you so wish.

 

The Taktsang was built in 1692 and it is believed that it was up on this cliff, where Guru Padmasambhava meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, three day and three hours in the 8th century. There are different versions as to why it landed the name Tiger’s Nest. One version suggests that Padmasambhava flew to this place from Tibet on the back of a tigress. Another legend indicates that Yeshe Tsogyal, a former wife to an emperor become a disciple of Padmasambhava, and in the form of a tigress carried Rinpoche to this spot. Hiking at an easy and leisurely pace, took us almost the entire day to climb up and return to our starting point. Only if we had had a tigress to transport us up in a jiffy ;)

 

Paro Bazaar has multitude handicrafts store where one can again shop for souvenirs. It has cute coffee shops with an expansive variety. We rejuvenated our energy at Champaca Cafe, which had a cozy ambience. In the bazaar itself, there’s a great Thai restaurant that was recommended to us, Yegal Thai. It is popular amongst local people and tourists, and is extremely economical. The food was decent and we tried a combination of Pad Thai, Tom Yum Soup (highlight of the meal) and Red Curry. Compared to Thimpu, Paro is more spread out and it’s easier to drive from one place to the other than walk, unless you are in the bazaar.

 

At Paro we stayed at Rema Resort, which was at a height and overlooking the river. It has snug cottages tucked away next to each other, with considerably large sized rooms. The owner of the resort went out of his way and personally ensured that each guest was well taken care off. I would recommend staying here and booking in advance to get good deals. In terms of stay, Bhutan is on the steep side and some of the hotel websites show limited options. I eventually reserved my stay at Rema through booking.com. The restaurant at Rema has a million dollar view as the owner rightfully proclaimed, but the food, both Bhutanese and Chinese, needs significant amelioration as I shared in their feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bhutan and its neighbors

 

Bhutan and India share a very close relationship, with India being considered the backbone of Bhutan. Comprehensive support is provided in terms of defense forces, goods, supplies, medicines and aid in the case of an emergency or natural disaster. The bedrock of this relationship was established with Indira Gandhi visiting Bhutan during her leadership. Local people are amused at the recollection of stories such as Indira Gandhi having an affair with the King and their progeny being Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi, ha! The Congress Party in general, continues to share an excellent relationship with the Bhutanese Government and Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit has further consolidated the friendship. Any denomination of Rupees can be used in Bhutan.

 

Moreover, people speak Hindi widely. In fact, Bhutanese people are quite multi-lingual and 24 languages are spoken in Bhutan. The official language is Dzonghka. English is widely spoken and understood as well. The Bhutanese chose to re-size their flag when they noticed that the Indian flag fluttered with ease in the wind. The flag features the Thunder Dragon, famous in Bhutanese mythological stories. Yellow symbolizes the King, white denotes loyalty and purity and orange signifies the belief in Buddhism. Bhutan co-exists peacefully with their neighbors and in fact, declared a holiday when the King of Thailand died, as the Kings were good friends. As members of SAARC, we could enter the country without a visa and a pre-approved tour.

 

A country to be visited

 

Bhutan as a country is setting an exemplary example in today’s world. It is preserving its inherent cultural traditions and practices and ensuring that the environment, mother earth and each unique living being is respected and protected. Some of the most exquisite species are found in the natural habitats and endangered species such as the White-bellied Heron are being safeguarded in Bhutan’s protected lands. Bhutan, is surely one of the very few countries in today’s world that is actually living its vision and leading by example.

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- Kamiya Kumar