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Thimphu
A few years old, the late king Jigme Dorje Wangchuk, to replace
the ancient capital of Punakha a mountain range away, built Thimphu.
At a altitude of 7,710 ft in the fertile valley of the Wang Chu
river, the capital Thimphu is an engaging blend of the old and the
new. A unique law, which retains the forms and motifs of Bhutan's
traditional architecture even in new buildings, give Thimphu a delightful
structural harmony. The capital's most striking visual landmark
is the magnificent Tashichhodzong, which is the seat of the Royal
Government and Central Monastic Body.
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Phajoding
To the west of Thimphu, the Phajoding monastery overlooks the town
from 10,000 feet and commands a splendid view of whole area. Visitors
may also go to Dontsho la pass for an impressive vista of snow peaks,
lakes, streams and alpine flowers, and to Dochu la, another scenic
mountain pass, where the panorama of vivid rhododendrons and azaleas
against the backdrop of the great Himalayas is breathtaking.
Kytchu-Lakhang
Below the Dzong, across a covered medieval bridge, is uggen palri
a royal palace, where architect’s imagination reached, hiterto
unattainable peaks in the ecstasy of devotion. Here is Bhutan’s
architecture at its height. About 6.5-km north of the Dzong, is
the legendary and most revered sacred shrine in Bhutan; Kytchu-Lakhang
was built in the 7th century, the wooden floor tells the tale of
the years of prostration by the devout monks, for goughed into the
heavy timber are footprints as clear as if freshly made. The Queen
Mother of the present king recently added a new chapel dedicated
to the Guru Rimpoche with a great image of the saint crafted by
Bhutan’s foremost artisans.
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Paro
With patchwork fields, willow glades, murmuring trout filled streams
and scattered hamlels, Paro is the most attractive of Bhutan’s
valleys, and the air exudes a sense of profound peace. It was here
that Padma Sambhava, better known as Guru Rimpoche, came from India
in the 8th century with the message of the Lord Buddha. At 7,382
ft Paro is the only airport site of Bhutan. Besides the colourful
spring Tsechu, Paro has a number of sights and monuments to enthral
the visitor. The pastoral beauty of Paro valley, magnificent views
of Mount Jhomolhari, the incredible monastery of Taktsang which
clings to a sheer rock cliff, the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong - fortress
of the victorious Drupas and the National Museum, housed in an ancient
watchtower, are a few of the attractions that make Paro one of the
high-points of any holiday in Bhutan.
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Vhunzom
Or Confluence
In an area called “Vhunzom” or Confluence- the meeting
place of the Para Chu and Wang Chu rivers - branch roads lead off
to Paro and the Ha valleys. This was an important station in Bhutan’s
once thriving trade with Tibet, beyond it lies the Chumbi valley.
Taktsang (The
Tiger’s Nest) and Kyichu
Beyond Paro, the road runs along the river valley to the Tibetan
border. A few miles down the road, a side track leads onwards Tastsang
a gem-like monastery that clings to a sheet 3,000 foot rock face.
The name Taktsang means “theTtiger’s Nest” for
the legend that Padma Sambhava, the bringer of Buddhism, flew here
from Tibet on the back of a Tiger. Today pilgrims and other visitors
reach it by crossing a bridge and mounting a steep, winding track
on horseback. The monks welcome visitors and will readily act as
guides and show their small sacred library. Another 15 minutes further
along, even highen Thantaktsang, is the Sang-Tog Peri monastery.
Its name means literlally “ the temple of heaven” a
claim which no one who sees it, would think to contest.
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Punakha - The
Old Capital
A three hour drive to the east
of thimphu takes one to the old capital of bhutan - punakha. A
superb example of bhutanese architecture, the punakha dzong majestically
stand on the bank of the river punakha. With abundance of trouts,
the punakha river is considered an angler’s paradise.
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· The Kingdom
of Bhutan is nuzzled in the eastern Himalayas, north of India and
south of Tibet. Not only is it in the mountains, it is virtually
all mountain. The country ranges in elevation from about 600 feet
to 24,778 feet, and only 8% of the land is tillable. · Flying
in on the exclusive airline, Druk Air, is the only way for travelers
to get there. It has a fleet consisting of two 72-passenger airplanes
and has the distinction of being the only airline to routinely fly
over eight of the tallest peaks in the world. The word Druk means
Dragon. Druk Yul is what Bhutanese call their country, translated
as the 'Land of the Thunder Dragon'. · Bhutan is known as
one of the top ten bio-diversity hot spots in the world, with an
estimated 165 mammal and 5,500 plant species, 500 of which are considered
medicinal. There are about 770 bird species. |
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·In
many ways, Bhutan epitomizes both the dual qualities of protection
and vulnerability. Nestled in the Himalayas, the country is virtually
all mountains. The highest peaks are considered sacred, and have
never been climbed by westerners. Some of the country has not been
mapped. In part because of this inaccessibility, Bhutan has never
been colonized. The only foreign invasions they've faced have been
from their Tibetan neighbors to the north, and those wars have been
fought with bows and arrows. Until recently, one village considered
itself protected because it was surrounded with cactus. There were
virtually no roads until the 1970s. Their rivers are neither dammed
nor diverted.
National parks and sanctuaries protect a remarkable 26% of the entire
country. The forest cover |
72 percent of the
country. Most of the giant peaks have never been explored by westerners
and are considered home to the deities, so climbing them is not
allowed. Bhutan is so protective of its environment that killing
a black-necked crane means life imprisonment. Plastic bags are illegal.
· The king reports their most important product of the country
is "gross national happiness." The king of Bhutan, His
Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, is respected both internationally
and at home. In his 26-year reign he's been credited with opening
Bhutan to the visitors for the first time. Bringing in travelers
and trekkers is one thing, but delivering Bhutan to the 21st century
is quite another. |
·Bhutan's
resources are as vulnerable as they are impressive. It has a population
of about 650,000 people, most of whom are scattered in remote valleys
narrowly wedged between high mountains. It measures 180 miles long
and 100 miles wide, a land mass about one-fifth the size of Oregon.
The majority of people live on subsistence farming with an average
annual income of $510.00. · Starting in 1999 and for the
first time ever, Bhutanese were required to pay income tax. Roads
have been built within the last 20 years, and though they connect
some regions, most of the country can only be reached by footpath.
In order to be cautious with its capacity to absorb visitors, Bhutan's
annual tourist count is about 7,000. There are domestic conflicts
with the Nepalese immigrant population. Major earthquakes have been
rocking the region, and scientists predict more to come.
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