There
are very few places left on this earth, that
remain virtually free of western civilization's influences. The
Kingdom of Bhutan, an ancient land nestled in
seclusion high in the Himalayas, has remained pristine.
PARO As you
fly into Bhutan you will find that Paro is as apt an introduction to Bhutan
as there can be. The place reflects all of
Bhutan.
Fresh with crisp, clean mountain air Paro is a valley encased by walls
of mountains that are dotted with Buddhist
stupas
and monasteries. And a river runs through it. The Paro Valley (7,100 ft)
has the reputation of being the most beautiful
of Bhutan's
main valleys, a reputation justly deserved. It is home to many of the country's
oldest temples and dzongs (fortress/monasteries) nestled in a patchwork
of terraced rice fields, glades of willows and murmuring trout streams.
The
National
Museum and the Kingdom's only airport are also located here. Further up
the valley, perched high on a cliff side,
is the
renowned Taktsang "Tiger's Nest" monastery where Guru Rimpoche is
said to have landed on the back of a flying
tiger.
Also of interest are the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong, backdropped by the snowy
peak of Mt. Chomolhari. (23,997 ft)
PHUENTSHOLING Phuentsholing's
importance arises from the fact that it borders India, the country that
is the one major trading partner of
Bhutan.
It is this border that makes the town a lively jumble of Bhutanese and
Indian cultures, peoples and products. Little
surprise,
therefore, that Phuentsholing is not far from the 1020-megawatt Tala
hydroelectric power plant, the largest single socio-economic development
project ever attempted by Bhutan.Yet, even with the din of commerce, serenity
is but a few
minutes
drive away. The Amo Chu, a river whose banks are a favoured picnic spot,
creeps nonchalantly by the town while
a gardened
monastery sits perched on the hillock of Kharbandi
THIMPU No more
than a collection of villages and a centralised dzong before it became
the capital in 1956, Thimphu is now the largest Bhutanese town and represents
the peak of Bhutan's modest economic advancement. Still, it has no lack
of religious and cultural character.It was from this valley that the sons
of Phajo Drugom Zhipo, the founder of the state religion in Bhutan, spread
the Drukpa Kagyu school of Buddhism in Druk Yul; and numerous monasteries
and religious centers still adorn its hills. It remains the summer residence
of the Je Khenpo, the religious head of the country and of the Central
Monk Body. About 30 miles east of Paro is Thimpu (7,500 ft), the capital
"city" of Bhutan, and the center of government, religion and commerce.The
massive Tashichodzong on the
right
bank of the Thimpu Chu River is the seat of the major government ministries
and is also the summer residence of the Je
Khenpo,
religious head of Bhutan. It was built in the 17th century, and constructed
without the use of a single nail. Other points
of interest
in and around Thimpu include the Drubthob Gompa Buddhist nunnery, Handicraft
Emporium, Simthoka Dzong, Memorial Chorten, a colorful local market and
workshops of goldsmiths, woodcarvers and traditional painters.
PUNAKHA Situated
at a lower elevation than Thimphu and Paro, Punakha's warmer climate makes
it one of the most fertile valleys in the kingdom and its vast rice fields
stand testimony to that claim. At at altitude of 4,388 ft, situated at
the confluence of the Pho Chu
and Mo
Chu rivers, is blessed by a wonderful, temperate climate.The region produces
rich crops of rice, mangoes, bananas and oranges. The dzong here, built
in 1637, is winter residence of the Je Khenpo and central monk body. The
drive from Thimpu to Punakha is spectacular, crossing 10,400 foot Dochula
Pass,with magnificent views of the Bhutan Himalayas.
WANGDIPHODRANG The Wangdiphodrang
Dzong (4,430 ft) is strategically located high on a ridge above the Sunkosh
and Tangchu rivers Trongsa - Where the Twain Meet Trongsa is home to the
largest dzong in Bhutan, a dzong that was the seat of the Trongsa Penlop,
Gongsar Jigme Namgyal and of his son, King Ugen Wangchuk, and the second
King, Jigme Wangchuck.Lying to the south of Punakha it is the gateway to
central and eastern Bhutan.Legend has it that the Zhabdrung was given Divine
directions to build a fort on a hill
that
looked like an elephant. He did and Wangduephodrang Dzong proved critical
in unifying the western, central and southern districts.The town that neighbours
the dzong today is a cluster of small shops that include one or two establishment
which serve
as lunch-stops
for tourists. It is a pretty town whose residents are known to keep it
conspicuously clean.
BUMTHANG Arguably
unsurpassed in the serene poetry of its landscape Bumthang is a photographer's
paradise. This broad valley in central Bhutan, which houses several sacred
Buddhist shrines, is split by a clear mountain river that runs by one of
the most picturesque towns in the kingdom. Perched high on a hill above
the town looms the impressive and appropriately named Jakar Dzong
(Fortress
of the White Bird) which sports a central tower rising 150 feet high. Myth
and religious legend abound in Bumthang.
A host
of tales and accounts of the revered eighth century Tibetan mystic, Guru
Padma Sambhava, and the great Nyingmapa treasure revealer, Terton Pema
Lingpa (1450-1521), are traced to Bumthang and its satellite valleys. The
Guru's bodily imprints
are still
visible at the Jampa Lhakhang (monastery) and the Kurjey Lhakhang, located
on a fringe of the Choekhor valley. Beyond
Bumthang
lies the equally charming Ura valley, which is the last settlement before
the climb up to the country's highest road
at Thrumshingla
(12,500 feet) and then further down into eastern Bhutan
MONGAR The difficult
drive over winding bends and high cliffs before Mongar makes the town a
refreshing stop. The first thing visitors
notice
is that, unlike most western and central Bhutanese towns, Mongar sits on
the side of a hill and not in a valley. Much of
eastern
Bhutan is the same - the hills are generally steeper and the valleys too
narrow for comfort. The people of eastern Bhutan
also
speak a different dialect and their villages are less nucleated. As if
to emphasise its hilly base the small town of Mongar
appears
to have sprouted suddenly in one collective heave. The houses, all uniform
in size, are relatively taller than elsewhere
and rise
into a hill slope in one straight line
TRASHIGANG
& TASHIYANGTSE Beyond
Mongar and a 90-kilometre stretch of arid landscape is Trashigang, a town
tucked into a hillside cavity. Minute as it
appears
Trashigang is the nerve center of eastern Bhutanese commerce as its roads
stretch one way towards the southern border
and the
other way into two interior districts. Another road follows a separate
direction towards the satellite township of Rangjung and then spreads out
in fingers to more rural settlements. Trashigang's 17th century dzong is
built on a cliff further out of the
town
and commands a majestic view of the Dangme Chhu river. Tashiyangtse grew
out of Trashigang and achieved separate
district
status only recently. Far more sparsely populated than Trashigang, Yangtse
is more an administrative center than a town. Like Mongar, its dzong was
also constructed in recent times.The place has developed around Chorten
Kora, a stupa where Guru Padma Sambhava is believed to have foreseen the
construction of a special temple and chorten (stupa). Indeed the chorten
is one of the only three in Bhutan built in the style of the Boudnath stupa
in Kathmandu, Nepal. Tashiyangtse is known for its skilled wood craftsmen
and for the Bomdeling National Park where the endangered Black Necked Cranes
(Grus nigricollis) roost each winter
TRONGSA This
town is located in the center of Bhutan. The Royal Family has strong links
with Trongsa. Both the first and the second king ruled the kingdom from
Trongsa's ancient Dzong. The Crown Prince of Bhutan normally holds the
position of Trongsa Penlop
prior
to ascending the throne.The secular and religious center, the Dzong is
an impregnable fortress and is itself a labyrinth of temples, corridors
and offices. The town is the quaintest and the most charming of all Bhutanese
towns. The town's vista is traditional in appearance as the wooden slatted
houses line up together on the side of the hill
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