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| View of the center of Thimphu. Taken from opposite side of the river from the main town looking west. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| View of Thimphu, Capital of Bhutan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Tango Monastery near Thimphu, Bhutan (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Tashichödzong, Thimphu, Bhutan. Tashichodzong in winter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Thimphu, Bhutan (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Thimpu is the capital and the changing face of modern Bhutan. She stands the trend setter. What happens in Thimphu today happens to every other town in the country tomorrow. Never has the mix and fusion of modernization and globalization been more stark, naked, bemusing and harmonious as it does in the capital on a daily roll. Remnants of the old way of life is embodied in the older generation who still throng the capital’s monasteries in Changangkha Lhakhang (monastery), the Memorial Chhorten (stupa) and other monasteries and temples that lie scattered around the valleys of Thimphu.
Not too long ago, Thimphu was but a stopover for couriers and travelers alike from strategic valleys and fortresses, chief among them Trongsa, located in the heart of the kingdom and Paro on the western flank with Tibet. Even as recently as the sixties, Punakha held sway as the country’s capital. But after modernization set in just about the same time, Thimphu’s favor kept increasing with Punakha effectively rendered the winter capital on account of its warmer climes and the traditional practice that saw the Central Monastic Body, headed by the Je Khenpo (the Spiritual Leader in the manner of the Temporal and Spiritual Rulers as established by the Great Shabdrung) reside the winters in Punakha and come summer, back to Thimphu. Today the practice continues but for matters of faith. Thimphu is a lovely valley. Where the town now hustles and bustles was once rice fields. Folks were mostly farmers. But in a span of five decades or so Thimphu has become the capital. The old sways of Lhuentse, Bumthang, Trongsa, Punakha and Paro had to give way to Thimphu. Today it’s a bustling town of 98,676.
Real estate threatens to climb the mountains now that hills have been flattened and conquered as space tightens and occupants grow. But its best claim to fame will probably be the fact that at one time in the eighties; traffic lights were set up, confusing traffic policemen, drivers and pedestrian alike. It was rid off. A policeman directs what is a growing monster of motorists in the city’s main junction. Deft and efficient, the officers conduct traffic rather admirably. Although dusk is a natural time for the last policeman to guide traffic that is when traffic has begun to swell and grow. Not they shoot speed guns at a five kilometer stretch called The Expressway.
And weekends are a busy time. The speed at which Drayangs (a Bhutanese equivalent of an entertainment house) and discotheques have mushroomed, things are getting harder still for the once-happy traffic-man with the times. The capital has its quaint charms though… winters are sunny with clear blue skies and snow peaked mountaintops. The spring brings in riotous colors, as does a very wet monsoon and a summer of sunflowers. In autumn, the capital turns into crisp golden leaves.
His father lives in the woods, where he always did once the wooden cottages were laid ready. That is his palace. And being in Thimphu it is quite likely you might spot on of the kings either cycling, or in the ground known as Changlimithang where he was enthroned with the Raven Crown and the Golden throne back in 2008.
And weekends are a busy time. The speed at which Drayangs (a Bhutanese equivalent of an entertainment house) and discotheques have mushroomed, things are getting harder still for the once-happy traffic-man with the times. The capital has its quaint charms though… winters are sunny with clear blue skies and snow peaked mountaintops. The spring brings in riotous colors, as does a very wet monsoon and a summer of sunflowers. In autumn, the capital turns into crisp golden leaves.
Their Majesties the Kings reside here, albeit very humbly, known only too well and for that and more, remain so beloved by their people they refused the democratic transition the Fourth Dragon King bestowed as a gift along with a Constitution that is as just as justice possibly can be when begotten from such a figure. His son, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck now rules; nay, rather serves his subjects. The King lives in a quaint little spread near the river called the Lingkana Palace, though it does mock the palaces where monarchs normally reside rarely in touch or feel with his own subjects. His Majesty walks the most forsaken corners of his realm, mediates like the wise-old kings of old, and is never too busy to do what he has always resonated: to be a good human being and as king, to serve to better the lives of his subjects. It’s this compassionate yet firm quality in his approach and example that many a forlorn Bhutanese take refuge in.
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| Thimphu Chorten (Photo credit: Bhutan-360) |
Then he speaks to his subjects, and then mingles with and amongst them. Many a face he knows by name, together with their families and problems.
This is what makes Thimphu so special. As honored guests, whenever His Majesty spots a foreigner, he talks and inquires about your health, your journey, and the country you come from. Such is the fortunate karma of the citizens of the capital. And in visiting our country and our capital, yours too. It does balm the soul and heals the eyes to always be able to see the 169 feet tall statue of the Buddha Dordenma in the Kuenselphodrang Nature Park. It’s a lovely way to go on for a walk and a view to a city like no other in the world. Thimphu is a cozy capital, perhaps the coziest because it has no skyscrapers. There are no MacDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and the brands of the multinationals that is threatening to turn the world into a uniformed monotheistic panorama of choreographed boredom.
What is still abundantly visible are the sights of frail old hands spinning prayer wheels and counting prayer beads, as elders circumambulate the temples and monasteries together with the new gadget generation. It is not to say the trends are negative but rather one of harmonium as the old discover ways of slotting in the nooks and corners of the bold new generation and the bold new generation, despite appearances, is as Bhutanese as those of yesteryear. And one trait that every Bhutanese takes pride in, from the east to the west, from the south to the remote north, is the extreme care and sense of hospitality that is bestowed upon and welcomed with open hearts and minds when it comes to visitors, honorable guests, as we like to call them.
This is again manifested in the way we run and treat our clients when they come and spend whatever time they have with us. The motto we carry is also the motto we execute: For the Spirited Traveler with every Moment a Milestone.
Thus Thimphu officially became the Bhutanese capital in 1961. The population is nearing a 100,000 off the record, as farmlands may way for housing in pleasant valleys on the outskirts and fringes of a mushrooming town as traditional as it is modern. Thimphu is spread out in a north-south direction with the Wang Chhu (river) running through it. The altitude ranges between 2,248m (7,375 ft) to 2,648m (8,688 ft). The airport at Paro is about a casual 45 minute-ride.
"As the crow flies, a Polaroid fader dwells in the capital harking back in the day with a bird’s eye view of what’s happening today"
Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan Bhutan
This cooks up a paradoxical concoction of freedom and entrapment that is hard to harmonize or integrate. The differences are obvious; The coming of television with Zinedine Zidane’s bald headers two world cups back and the legalization of television, along with the internet have been in Bhutan’s hermit history momentous moments.
A few years later Bhutan
The Bhutan Bhutan
The winds of change have really been amusing gentle breezes as people get used to the wonders of technology and mass consumer goods. Being wired to the worldwide web and replacing bulky satellite phones with sleek cells is also instant karma. Most of the puffed up fears about the disappearance of traditional culture have been perhaps exaggerated; as the modern gently blends in with the traditional and every new commercial commodity is awaited and fretted about with our own Bhutanese methodology. It’s a rainbow of wonder to some and a spectrum of disaster to others. In my experience it’s been an equal dose of both, adjusting the digital time, drawing strength from black and white photo studio days.
The junction where the two approaches collide and crash to me is personally destination ‘drug abuse’; where the traveler is almost always the youngster with lingering memories of a traditional upbringing and the harsh realities of modern competitive life.
This is more so visible, audible, discernable and perhaps understandable in Thimphu as it must be in other concentrated cities. From a primarily agricultural land with a pastoral life, Thimphu ’s transforming into the changing Bhutanese face, in quest of that edgy poise of urban sanity. The tunes get somewhat mixed up and like mine; there are myriad accounts of Bhutanese youngsters gone asunder trying to sing right that wrong note of truth.
But if Buddhism teaches us anything it is that change is the only permanent thing. It would be foolhardy to hold onto an image of pastoral paradise, and as the government has boldly demonstrated; we don’t intent to lower our heads digging in the mud like the ostrich, rather use its tall standing and see the world for what it is; complex, dynamic and ever changing, and find ways and means to adapt, adopt, reflect and lorry on without ignoring the past, forgetting the present, or taking the future for granted.
A good place to start that would be to accept and recognize the problems of drug use and abuse. And offer alternative means to battle the demons of addiction and aid drug addicts. Posters and banners hanging about with passive headliners in town roads and shop windows are simply not convincing or encouraging enough. More aggressive measures targeted especially at established and potential users would be welcome. As a former drug user I know when push comes to shove, sometimes a shove can be a good option to a lethargic junkie content lying either way on a mattress long as the poison keeps flowing. You have to get the junkie out of the slumber and back to a wakeful helpful reality.
You might need to educate, coerce, frighten, convince, cajole or lure the junk and ward off potential users. In other words, whatever’s necessary to get that message of help across.
The pretty slogans will not do, they ring too hollow and shallow projecting a vulgar gathering of people who never did drugs, do not understand people who do drugs and would rather enjoy the midday buffet.
That’s how those conferences look. So come down and check out things at the grass roots level, no pun intended. Let them know talking about their addictions just fine, period. Communication is a boon, and when done with a sympathetic professional ear, it encourages the patient and the wells and reservoirs of frustrated repression could come bursting forth.
The government has done a lot, and to that we owe our thanks and gratitude. I am able to live and write thanks largely to our free educational system, and the kind of truly surrogate father our genuinely beloved King has been and continuous to be, embodied in our present King. The bleating lost lambs need someone like that; compassionate, persuasive and concerned.
We must build on institutions already in place and provide the kind of listening platform abusers necessitate.
I have lost friends, known others that did, people in the prime of their lives, directly or indirectly to drug use and abuse. There are others like me with similar stories, and the numbers keep adding up as we speak. The media reports frequent familiar headlines of a ‘youth found dead in a hotel room,’ faceless anonymous arctic facts that only relate to the families of the dead. This is apathy.
Thimphu is but one budding city, and what happens in Thimphu today is a reality in most of the rest of Bhutan Bhutan
Here’s praying to the four guardian deities of the kingdom for all of that and more. May the wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings and the enlightened philosophy of GNH find their way in the policies of the government and in the hearts of the people.
Balance and harmony has never come this close to being so urgent and yet so distant.
The gaps must be bridged, and bridged with that rich age old traditional wisdom and the miracle of modern technological
pragmatism.
ALL IN TACT!
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| Tashichho Dzong, the officials working citadels of the King and the Je Khenpo |
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| The Dzong's Interiors |
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| a Residential Part of Thimphu at Dusk |
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| Thimphu Nighlights |
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| The 169 Foot Buddha Dordenma Blessing the Capital |
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| The Frontal Visage |
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| Tashichho Dzong Flanked by the Wang Chhu River |
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| A Pleasant Summer's Day |
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| The Memorial Chhorten Built in Honor of the Third Druk Gyalpo |
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| a Bird's Eye View of the Capital From a Popular Walking Spot Called Sangaygang |
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| The Clock Tower Square in the Heart of Thimphu. A Venue Used for Concerts and Fairs |
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| The Wedding of HM to His Majesty King Khesar to Jetsun Pema Wangchuck was the Highlighting Love Story of 2011. The People's King Wed the People's Queen |
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| School Boys and the Beautiful Game |
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| Cafes are Becoming Popular as More Thimphups Discover Coffee |
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| a Woman Sells Traditional Doma (Betel Leaf, Nut and Lime) in the Centennial Farmers' Market |
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| Song and Dance in a Drayang |
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| Elders Go Around a Temple; a Common Practice for the Elderly Bhutanese |
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| HM the King Cycles Thimphu's Main Street on the First Day of Tuesday, Officially Made Pedestrian's Day |
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| Traditionally, a Family Always Sent One Boy to Become a Monk |
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| Norzin Lam, the Capital's Main Street |
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| a Policeman Directs Traffic. Thimphu has No Traffic Lights. An Attempt in the 90s Failed Miserably |
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| The Bhutanese Love for Chilies is Legendary |
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| The Taj Tashi Thimphu- an Architectural Delight |
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| The First Official Portrait of HM with the Future Dragon Queen. People Warmed Up to the Endearing Beautiful Bride Almost Instantaneously |
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| Thimphu Golf Course; Probably One of the Most Picturesque. A Common Complaint Concerns Errant Balls Breaking in the Public Offices at Near the Dzong |
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| The Centennial Farmer's Market Provides Seasonal Fruits and Delights to the Culinary Tongue |
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| Little Monks in a Shedra (Buddhist School) Take a Siesta |
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| Weaving is a Traditional Practice and an Artistic Heritage |
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| The Takin Reserve in Thimphu. A Curious Looking Animal with a Colorful Legend |
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| Red Rice, Chilies with Cheese (Ema Datsi) and Paa (Pork or Beef) is a Beloved Dish with Salted Butter Tea to Wash it Down |
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| The Ubiquitous Phallus is Drawn on Houses to Ward Off Bad Spirits |
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| Norzin Lam is Crowded on 13.0.'11- Their Majesty's Wedding Day |
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| Small Pockets of Rice Fields Still Surround the Capital |
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| Attired in Their Finest, Thimphu's Tsechu is also a Fashion Parade |
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| Tashichho Dzong is Also the Summer Residence of the Monastic Body |
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| Schools Follow the Traditional Dress Code |
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| The Battle of Changlimithang Continues Today in the Form of Archery Tournaments |
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| Fairway on the Gold Course with a Peeping Tashichho Dzong |
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| Every Town in Bhutan Has a Bus Station Equaling a Landmark |
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| Real Estate Keeps Skyrocketing as the Population Keeps Growing |
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| The Thoroughfare Gets Busier and Busier for the Lone Policeman Directing Traffic |
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| Since Bhutan Went to the Historic Polls in 2008, Democracy is Slowly Becoming a Way of Life and Governance But Monarchy Still Remains the Most Revered and Beloved of Institutions for the Bhutanese people |
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| Their Majesties Mingled with the People on their Wedding Day Stretching Over Seven Days |
Landmarks include the SAARC Building, which houses the National Assembly of the newly formed parliamentary democracy, the Tashichho Dzong, the official working chambers of His Majesty the King, and right below the Dzong palace of the King, Lingkana. Dechenchholing Palace, the official residence of the King lies about a 10-minute ride in a lovely valley that is effectively the grounds of the Royal Body Guards, an elite force in service of the King. The culture of Bhutan is fully reflected in Thimphu in respect to literature, religion, customs, and the national dress code. Its a center for the monastic practices, music, dance, literature the burgeoning media . The Tsechus and Dromches (festivals), celebrated in honor of Guru Padmasambhava, are colorful festivals observed during the fall.
!ncredible Sights:
Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, is situated on the western slopes of the Wangchhu river in Thimph valley. With a population of about 100,000 residents, it is also the largest city in Bhutan. The headquarters of the central governments, embassies and representations of other countries, offices of UN and other international organizations, and offices of major business and corporate houses are located in Thimphu. Thimphu is the only capital city in the world without traffic lights!
Emergency and Essential Services
The following numbers are for emergency and essential services:
1. Ambulance —————————–112
2. Fire —————————————110
3. Police ———————————–113
4. Traffic Police —————————111
The following numbers are for emergency and essential services:
1. Ambulance —————————–112
2. Fire —————————————110
3. Police ———————————–113
4. Traffic Police —————————111
Telephone Services
Local and international call services can be availed from shops with STD/ISD signs. These shops are authorized dealers and provide services at fixed rates.
Local and international call services can be availed from shops with STD/ISD signs. These shops are authorized dealers and provide services at fixed rates.
Weather Conditions
Thimphu is located at an altitude of 7,500 feet above sea level. The average temperature in Thimphu ranges from a minimum of 7oC to a maximum of 24oC in April. Conditions during day are generally mild and pleasant with breeze picking up towards evening. Temperature in the morning can be quite low. Light jackets and other suitable clothes are recommended.
Thimphu is located at an altitude of 7,500 feet above sea level. The average temperature in Thimphu ranges from a minimum of 7oC to a maximum of 24oC in April. Conditions during day are generally mild and pleasant with breeze picking up towards evening. Temperature in the morning can be quite low. Light jackets and other suitable clothes are recommended.
Getting Around
Despite being the largest and most rapidly developing urban area in Bhutan, Thimphu is a small city with about hundred thousand residents inhabiting the valley. Finding directions are not difficult and, if one needs help, most residents speak English.
Despite being the largest and most rapidly developing urban area in Bhutan, Thimphu is a small city with about hundred thousand residents inhabiting the valley. Finding directions are not difficult and, if one needs help, most residents speak English.
Transportation
Taxis are an efficient way of moving around and beyond the city. Apart from that there are city buses plying every 15 minutes to different locations.
Currency
The currency of Bhutan is Ngultrum which is at par with Indian Rupee. Indian Rupee is also acceptable legal tender in Bhutan. Exchange rates for other currencies, click here . (Link to RMA website)
The currency of Bhutan is Ngultrum which is at par with Indian Rupee. Indian Rupee is also acceptable legal tender in Bhutan. Exchange rates for other currencies, click here . (Link to RMA website)
Places:-Tashichho Dzong
Location: One kilometer from city centre
Tashichho Dzong, or simply Thimphu Dzong, is the biggest of its kind in Bhutan. Its unique architecture, common to dzongs throughout the country, is a blend offortress architecture and traditional Bhutanese architecture. Originally built in 1641 AD, Tashichho Dzong was rebuilt and enlarged after the capital was moved from Punakha, an adjoining valley, in 1962. Today, it houses the Office and the Throne Room of His Majesty the King of Bhutan and offices of numerous Ministries and agencies. Thimphu Dzong is also the summer residence of the Central Monk Body.
Fact: Not a single nail was used during its construction.
Visiting Hours: After 5 PM
Institute of Traditional Medicine
Location: Less than one kilometer from city centre
Contains a large impressive laboratory and production facilities for indigenous Bhutanese medicine. It has a day-care facility and clinic where doctors diagnose patients and prescribe appropriate medicines or treatments. It also produces and sells the famous herbal tea – Tsheringma.
Location: Less than one kilometer from city centre
Contains a large impressive laboratory and production facilities for indigenous Bhutanese medicine. It has a day-care facility and clinic where doctors diagnose patients and prescribe appropriate medicines or treatments. It also produces and sells the famous herbal tea – Tsheringma.
National Institute for Zorig Chusum
Location: Less than one kilometer from city centre
The institute trains students in the thirteen traditional arts of Bhutan known as the Zorig Chusum. Visitors can see the art works and even observe how a traditional Bhutanese artwork is made by students.
Location: Less than one kilometer from city centre
The institute trains students in the thirteen traditional arts of Bhutan known as the Zorig Chusum. Visitors can see the art works and even observe how a traditional Bhutanese artwork is made by students.
National Library
Location: In proximity to National Institute for Zorig Chusum and Folk Heritage Museum
Built in 1967 in the style of traditional temple, contains a large collection of religious books and manuscripts in Dzongkha and Classical Tibetan. It also contains a copy of the biggest published book in the world! The book is on Bhutan.
Location: In proximity to National Institute for Zorig Chusum and Folk Heritage Museum
Built in 1967 in the style of traditional temple, contains a large collection of religious books and manuscripts in Dzongkha and Classical Tibetan. It also contains a copy of the biggest published book in the world! The book is on Bhutan.
National Folk Heritage Museum
Location: In proximity to National Library and National Institute for Zorig Chusum
Displays traditional Bhutanese way of life in a traditional Bhutanese house. It is a window to the Bhutanese culture and domestic lives of the Bhutanese.
Location: In proximity to National Library and National Institute for Zorig Chusum
Displays traditional Bhutanese way of life in a traditional Bhutanese house. It is a window to the Bhutanese culture and domestic lives of the Bhutanese.
The Centenary Farmers Market
Location: city center
The farmers market has an array of products both locally produced and imported. Across the river Wang Chhu, spanned by a traditional cantilever bridge, is a display of traditional arts and crafts.
Location: city center
The farmers market has an array of products both locally produced and imported. Across the river Wang Chhu, spanned by a traditional cantilever bridge, is a display of traditional arts and crafts.
Changangkha Lhakhang
Location: Less than one kilometer from city centre
This is one of the oldest monasteries in Thimphu valley built in 15th century. The monastery is home to the thousand-eyed Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of compassion. Newborn infants are brought here for their first blessings.
Location: Less than one kilometer from city centre
This is one of the oldest monasteries in Thimphu valley built in 15th century. The monastery is home to the thousand-eyed Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of compassion. Newborn infants are brought here for their first blessings.
Sangaygang
Location: Three kilometers from city center
For a panoramic view of the Thimphu valley, drive up to the hilltop of Sangaygang which is marked by a radio tower.
Location: Three kilometers from city center
For a panoramic view of the Thimphu valley, drive up to the hilltop of Sangaygang which is marked by a radio tower.
Kuenselphodrang
Location: About 15 minutes drive from the main city
Location: About 15 minutes drive from the main city
Kuensel Phodrang, also known as Buddha Point, is the world’s largest sitting Buddha statue, the statue is 167 feet high. The statue is situated on top of a hill overlooking the city of Timphu, it can be accessed by road and is about 15 minutes away from the city’s center. The word Kuensel means everything is clear and from this place you will sure enjoy a great view of the Thimphu Valley on both sides.
Dochula Pass
Location: About 35 minutes drive from Thimphu
Location: About 35 minutes drive from Thimphu
Dochula pass is located on the way to Punakha from Thimphu. The pass is popular for tourists for its ideal location from where one can enjoy 360 degree of beautiful panoramic view of Himalaya mountain range, especially on clear winter days. The
beauty of this place is further enhanced by the Druk Wangyal Chortens -the 108 stupas built by the eldest Queen Mother Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. The pass is also popular spiritual place for both locals and tourists because of an important temple that is located on the crest of Dochula Pass.Besides the spirituality of the place many Bhutanese families visit the pass during holidays and weekends to simply enjoy the scenery of the place with their pack lunch and hot tea. For the tourist the place is an ideal location to capture beautiful pictures of the Eastern Himalaya mountain range during clear and warm days.
beauty of this place is further enhanced by the Druk Wangyal Chortens -the 108 stupas built by the eldest Queen Mother Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. The pass is also popular spiritual place for both locals and tourists because of an important temple that is located on the crest of Dochula Pass.Besides the spirituality of the place many Bhutanese families visit the pass during holidays and weekends to simply enjoy the scenery of the place with their pack lunch and hot tea. For the tourist the place is an ideal location to capture beautiful pictures of the Eastern Himalaya mountain range during clear and warm days.
The Takin Preserve
A short distance up the road to the telecom tower is a trail leading to a large fenced area that was originally established as a mini-zoo. The king decided that such a facility was not in keeping with Bhutan’s environmental and religious convictions, and it was disbanded some time ago.
The animals were released into the wild but the takins, Bhutan’s national animal, were so tame that they wandered around the streets of Thimphu looking for food, and the only solution was to put them back into captivity. It’s worthwhile taking the time to see these oddball mammals. The best time to see them is early morning when they gather near the fence to feed. It’s a five-minute walk from the road to a viewing area where you can take advantage of a few holes in the fence to take photographs.
National Memorial Chorten
Location: 5 minutes drive from the city
Location: 5 minutes drive from the city
The National Memorial Chorten is located near the Jigme Dorji National referral Hospital. It was built in 1974 in memory of the third king of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, ‘the father of Modern Bhutan’. The chorten (stupa) saw a major renovation in 2008. The chorten features mandalas, statues and altar dedicated to the third Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan.
Semtokha Dzong
Semtokha Dzong is located approximately 5 kilometers south of Thimphu. The Dzong is officially called the Sangak Zabhon Phodrang which roughly translates to the Palace of the Profound Meaning of Secret Mantras.
The Dzong is said the be the first fortress to have been built by the legendary Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in Bhutan. The fortress was constructed in the year 1629. Some suggest the Dzong is the oldest surviving complete Dzong in Bhutan. The Dzong is currently home to the Institute for Languages and Cultural Studies which is attended by monks and common people alike. The site of the Dzong is said to have been built over a site where a demon had disappeared in to the rocks nearby. The site of the Dzong is located very strategically at a point from where the Dzong can protect the Thimphu Valley and also protects the valley that leads to the Dochu La pass and on wards to eastern Bhutan.
The Dzong was attacked during its construction by the Tibetans and a group of Bhutanese Lamas who opposed to the Shabdrung. Even though the initial attack failed the Dzong was subsequently conquered in 1630. After a few failed attepmpts the Shabdrung regained control over the Dzong when the Dzongs main building caught fire and its roof collapsed on its occupiers killing them all. The Dzong underwent many expansions and restorations ever since.
The Dzong was attacked during its construction by the Tibetans and a group of Bhutanese Lamas who opposed to the Shabdrung. Even though the initial attack failed the Dzong was subsequently conquered in 1630. After a few failed attepmpts the Shabdrung regained control over the Dzong when the Dzongs main building caught fire and its roof collapsed on its occupiers killing them all. The Dzong underwent many expansions and restorations ever since.
The Changangkha Lhakhang
Changangkha Lhakhang is a early medieval Buddhist temple in the capital city Thimphu. The temple is situated on to of a ridge overlooking the city, near Motithang on the outskirts of Thimphu. The temple is the oldest temple in Thimphu and was constructed by Lama Phajo Drukgom Zhigpo in the 12 century AD. Lama Phajo Drukgom Zhigpo is also the founder of the Drukpa Kaygo School of Buddhism. The Lhakhang’s central deity is Chenirizig. There is a large statute of Chenrizig, the 11 headed, thousand-armed manifestation of Avolokiteshwara. The prayer books in the temple are larger in size compared to the usual Buddhist texts. There are also large prayer wheels and paintings in the walls of the temple. The temple offers an excellent view of the city of Thimphu from its courtyard.
National Handicrafts Emporium
The National Handcrafts Emporium is a state run Handicrafts showroom in 4 different cities of bhutan. The emporium is run by the National Woman’s Association of Bhutan as a Non-Government Organization that is run under the royal supervision of Her Royal Highness AshiSonamChodenWangchuk.
The Handicrafts Emporium is a showcase the finest handicrafts of the country and supports one of Bhutan’s most important income generating activities. The lack of an organized handicrafts industry in Bhutan is one of the biggest concerns
of the organization running the Emporium as they strive to create some form of organization in this otherwise unorganized sector. The products on sale at the emporium include; locally manufactured hand woven fabrics, wooden masks, cane and bamboo products, traditional wooden utensils such as cups and bowls, handmade paper, statuettes, prayer wheels etc. most of the good are manufactured in the winter months, since business is slow for farmers in the winter months many families turn to the production of handicrafts goods to supplement their income during the lean winters. Apart from its central branch in Thimphu the emporium has now opened its doors in 3 more locations including one at the Paro International Airport, Bumthang and the Rural Handicrafts Sales Centre at Tashigang. The Rural Handicrafts Sales Center is known as a good place to pick up woven kiras, table runners and scarves, particularly if you can’t make it to the weaving center in Khaling. Kiras aren’t cheap (Nu 4000 to 16,000) but do keep in mind that an elaborate piece can take up to six months to create.
The Handicrafts Emporium is a showcase the finest handicrafts of the country and supports one of Bhutan’s most important income generating activities. The lack of an organized handicrafts industry in Bhutan is one of the biggest concerns
of the organization running the Emporium as they strive to create some form of organization in this otherwise unorganized sector. The products on sale at the emporium include; locally manufactured hand woven fabrics, wooden masks, cane and bamboo products, traditional wooden utensils such as cups and bowls, handmade paper, statuettes, prayer wheels etc. most of the good are manufactured in the winter months, since business is slow for farmers in the winter months many families turn to the production of handicrafts goods to supplement their income during the lean winters. Apart from its central branch in Thimphu the emporium has now opened its doors in 3 more locations including one at the Paro International Airport, Bumthang and the Rural Handicrafts Sales Centre at Tashigang. The Rural Handicrafts Sales Center is known as a good place to pick up woven kiras, table runners and scarves, particularly if you can’t make it to the weaving center in Khaling. Kiras aren’t cheap (Nu 4000 to 16,000) but do keep in mind that an elaborate piece can take up to six months to create.
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