Built in the sixteenth century, this Dzong belongs to the Drukpa lineage of the Kagyu School. The festival of Tsechu in the second lunar month is celebrated here. Situated in Paro, its name literally means "the fortress of the heap of jewels".
Scandalously clung to a 900m tall cliff, this monastery is an architectural marvel that has baffled every onlooker till date. But the fable circling the monastery is more baffling than the building itself. It is believed that back in the 8th Century, the patron saint of Bhutan, Guru Rinpoche, flew down to this monastery on a flying tigress to meditate for three years, three months, three days and three hours. Travelers hike up this temple to enjoy the view that awaits them on the top, and it is told that every step taken against gravity, becomes worth it.
Home to the sacred relics from the Drukpa Lineage, the Punakha Dzong was the former seat of the Bhutan Government administration. The severe whitewashed walls that rise up till six storey stand in humongous contrast against the azure waters in the bottom reflecting the azure of the sky cast overhead, with a ribbon of emerald green vegetation running in between.
Flocked by the locals to display their ethnic products in Thimpu, the weekend market is the choicest place to discover and grab some memorable souvenirs from Bhutan. Take home a pouch of exclusive, mushy Bhutanese yak cheese, or perhaps, a fresh yak leg. Cured meat obtained from the juiciest cuts, cured fish from the local rivers. Shop through the collection of fresh local fruits and vegetables, freshly picked fern fronds to be sautéed in butter, banana pods procured straight from the backyards. Prayer flags, miniature Buddhas, exotic hand-rolled incenses, embroidered accessories, hand-painted wall hangings and much more.
Apart from the resplendent views of the Himalayan vista on the way to the pass, what will strike you the most is the lining up of 108 chortens (stupas) erected by the Queen Mother in memory of the Bhutanese soldiers. Guided by the prayer flags, the road to the pass is serene, almost ethereal, and calls for an unmissable road trip to the destination once in a lifetime.
A 51m tall statue of Sakyamuni Buddha is erected in the city of Thimpu and is on its way to become one of the tallest imitations of Buddha extant. It is rumored to accommodate 1,00,000 8-inch & 25,000 12inch caricatures of Lord Buddha upon completion.
Erected by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo to pin down the left foot of an angry female demon who was supposedly interfering with the spread of Buddhism in Bhutan. The Lhakhang houses the statue of Joro Jamba which was sculpted around 7th century.
Built in the year 1974 in memory of His Highness Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The locals customarily peg in to pay their homage and offer prayers, touch the prayer wheels and pass by this grand, stark white monument, complete with gilded roofs that gleam the brightest under the noon sun.
This conch shell shaped structure was initially a watch tower to look over the Paro Dzong. Now a museum, the building as meticulously painted murals under exhibition, exotic Tsechu masks, and paraphernalia related to the Bhutanese history.
This monastery was prophesied by Pema Lingpa to be built in the Phobjika Valley to propagate his teachings, and his reincarnatins have been building and re-modeling this beautiful structure till the present. The monastery houses a guest house, monks dormitories and three storey tall prayer halls that are frequented by monks, locals and tourists alike.
Built in the year 1649 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, it commemorates the victory of Bhutan over Tibetan invaders. The Dzong was ruined by a fire and is under rigorous reconstruction. It was the centre of administration to govern over the trade in 1951. It also features its own exclusive watchtower.
It now houses numerous government offices like the throne room, the cabinet secretariat, the offices of finance and home ministers as well. It is commonly known as the Thimpu Dzong and the "fortress of glorious religion".
