It was a journey from the new capital to the old capital of Bhutan, from Thimphu to Punakha. On the way to Punakha was the famous Dochula Pass. In the Bhutanese Language, La means 'the pass'. Dochula is situated about 3100 meters above sea level. A wonderful place on the way with a large number of Chortens arranged wonderfully.
Chorten means Stupa. Exactly 108 chortens arranged in three rows.
It had some history to tell us.
In 2003, some Assamese terrorists infiltrated here. It was in the memory of the soldiers and the King, who helped to drive out the terrorists, that this monument was constructed.
That place was amazing. On top of a mountain, at such a height, where a cool breeze always surrounds you, you can stay there for hours. Not only are these main Chortens its attraction, but we can see a trail made by monks towards the sides, which goes deeply inside towards the forest.
We can see small caves prepared for meditation, even with names written on them. These were beautifully crafted with Bhutanese colour combinations and had seats inside them.
Once we got inside the forest and into one of these caves, we wouldn't leave that place for quite a long time. Such was the atmosphere and peace of mind it offered. Couldn't choose another ideal place for deep meditation.
Our kids had always wanted Dubai or Singapore as their holiday destination and were not much amused when Bhutan crept into the plan. Even them were enjoying the walk and cave experience quite a lot.
We can see some beautiful images of the Himalayas from Dochula.
Major parts of Punakha are very rural. And she was very much enchanting with those winding sand roads and sprawling farmlands. The village people were also very nice.
A temple called Chhimi Lhakhang was the main attraction in that part of Punakha.
It was in the memory of a saint named Drukpa Kunley. He is also known as the Divine Madman of Bhutan because of his weird ways and deeds.
You may find it weird, but Punakha has a temple where The Linga Pooja( Worshipping the Penis) takes place. And you find a lot of replicas of that male organ attached to the front gates and walls there.It was a tradition to distract evil from entering homes.
After a long stroll through the rural fields and sand paths of Punakha, we went to our hotel and checked in. After lunch and a little rest, our next destination was the Punakha Tzong.
Tzong in Bhutanese means Fort. But now a days Tzongs are converted to places of worship and meditation. We had some beautiful Tsongs in Thimphu too, but we couldn't visit them due to shortage of time and Punakha became our first Tzong offering.
We still remember that beautiful evening. Those jecaranda trees and the flowers blossomed in summer... A breeze as tranquil as the atmosphere of the Tzong itself... Didn't ever imagine that silence can be that much beautiful!
We got a chance to explore the hanging bridge in Punakha. It is very near the Tsong. Since evenings are filled with a cold breeze, that swinging motion correlated with that movement quite blissfully.
Every monastery in Bhutan has a meditation hall. As we all know, meditation is an integral part of Buddhist religion.Even while you are high on your adrenaline rush, those meditation halls can lock your hormone levels back to ground zero. You will surely get tempted to meditate.
That day ended quite blissfully for us. So many new ideas, information, thoughts. We were enriched spiritually, intellectually and physically too because of those long walks😊.
Bhutan is not over. It seems like this writing becomes too long. Will catch up with more beautiful visuals and stories from Bhutan. Thank you for your valuable time.
Comments