Dzongs, Lhakhangs, and Everything In Between

Normally, I dedicate a good amount of travel-related posts to describe the gastronomical experience that each place I visit has to offer.  I regret to say that Bhutan will not receive that same effort, particularly so after my first exposure to the local cuisine in Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital city for the last fifty years or so.  I had largely been fed Indian food in the accommodation in Paro and finally requested to taste some local, more authentic dishes.  So, in addition to dhal and chicken do pyaza, I was also served three dishes typical to Bhutanese cuisine--- chilies with cheese (emadatse), potatoes with cheese (kewadatse), and red rice.  Suffice it to say that while they were pleasant to the palate, I am highly doubtful I’ll ever develop a craving for these again.  When I requested a soft drink to accompany my dinner, I was served a Tiger beer by a young waitress, who was subsequently scolded by the older waiter for getting my order “wrong.”  When I acknowledged that I’d agreed to have the beer, he, to my humor, felt the need to reconfirm twice that I would in fact opt for the beer over a soda.  After all, the order surely must have been misunderstood if a South Asian woman had voluntarily opted for an alcoholic beverage!   

Thimphu is the only capital city in the world with no traffic lights.  Traffic police have actually come to be a tourist attraction, particularly as they robotically and theatrically direct traffic in twenty-five minute shifts.  The city feels like more of a medium-sized Swiss town, but its rich art scene and abundance of cultural and religious sites add tremendously to its colorful legacy.  Our first stop today was to the National Memorial Chorten, built in memory of Bhutan’s third king.  Several Drukpa (people of Bhutan) start their day here in worship, circumambulating the massive stupa in the center at least three times, spinning their prayer wheels and chanting, “Om Mani Peme Hum,” which roughly translates as, ‘hail to the jewel in the lotus.’  Behind the stupa is a prayer hall, where monks perform rituals for the deceased of those who can’t afford to finance a traditional Buddhist funeral.  Today, I got to witness such a ritual being done as monks chanted, while others blew on the dunchen, a long trumpet-like instrument that rests at an angle on the ground while the seated blower rests the mouthpiece on his lips to play.  Upon entering the grounds, massive prayer wheels were being spun by the aged as they devoutly sat in prayer with their packed meals by their sides.  They had a very long day ahead of them!

National Memorial Chorten

Worshippers circumambulating the Chorten

Worshippers with beads and prayer wheels in hand

Prayer for the day

Turning prayer wheels for another 8 hours ahead

The National Memorial Chorten

Bhutan is peppered with dzongs and lhakhangs, which are the main tourist attractions of the country.   But, Thimphu, being the cultural center, also offers visitors a chance to visit their many painting and handicrafts schools.  The most holistic is the National Institute of Zorig Chusum, which is committed to preserving and teaching students the thirteen traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan --- shing zo (woodwork), dho zo (stonework), par zo (carving), lha zo (painting), jim zo (sculpting), lig zo (casting), sga zo (wood turning), gar zo (blacksmith), troe zoe (ornament making), tsha zo (bamboo work), de zo (paper making), tshem zo (embroidery), and thag zo (weaving).  Interestingly, however, most handicraft stores sell an abundance of Nepali and Tibetan goods that are brought across the borders for selling to tourists.  Prices are often marked up by double, triple, and even quadruple their selling price in their countries of origin, which is a little disappointing for the eager shopper like me.

One of the most famous temples of Bhutan is in Thimphu – the Changangkha Lhakhang, whose main deity is Chenrizig, the eleven-headed, thousand-armed avatar of the Buddhist deity Avalokiteshwara, lord of the world.  It’s a small but old temple, famous for its black and gold prayer wheels lodged into its white-washed walls.  Couples bring their newborns here to be named, sometimes after the temple itself.  

Changangkha Lhakhang

Black and gold prayer wheels of the Lhakhang

Takin, the national animal of Bhutan!

Nuns at the Zilluka Nunnery 'yellow-washing' the papers of mantra to be slipped into prayer wheels

En route from Thimphu to our next stop in Wangdue, moving slightly southeast of Thimphu, we passed through the Dochula Pass, from which point the elevation drops rapidly as one moves eastward.  The turning point is marked by a stunning shrine that the fourth queen had built in honor of her husband.  The Druk Wangyal Khangzang Chhortens are one hundred and eight white-washed stupas with black and gold Buddhas carved within apses on each of their four faces.  The view of the Himalayas is stunning from here on a clear day.  After two hours’ drive from here, we reached the very windy town of Wangdue, famous for housing one of the oldest dzongs in Bhutan.  When I visited, it was under renovation with hundreds of workers, including school children on winter break, carrying loads of materials to and fro while monks distributed water bottles.  Here, we had the opportunity to watch some of the young craftsmen at work, carving and painting the new pillars and roof ridges that would soon ornament the renovated dzong.  It was spectacular!

The Druk Wangyal Khanzang Chhortens

White-washed chhortens against a moon backdrop

The primary chhorten

Black and gold Buddhas

Entrance to Wangdue Dzong

Massive prayer wheel by a god of direction

Under renovation

Craftsman at work

Say hi!

Original prayer wheels of the dzong

A volunteer folds festival hangings

Dzongkha Script

Warding off evil spirits

The best was saved for last.  Punakha, just north of Wangdue, houses the largest and most beautiful of Bhutan’s dzongs.  Punakha Dzong sits at the meeting point of the Pho Chhu (father) and Mo Chhu (mother) rivers.  It is surrounded by lilac-flowered jacaranda trees under which monks sit in meditation or discussion along the banks of the river.  The dzong sits on an island that is linked to the road by a beautifully arched wooden bridge and is illustrative of some of Bhutan’s finest carving, painting, and wood works.  The dzong also houses Bhutan’s most sacred and cherished relics and contains one of the most stunning prayer halls in the country, making it a worthwhile venue for last year’s much celebrated royal wedding ceremony between the fifth king and his ‘commoner’ queen.  The walls are covered with such fine paintings depicting the transformation of Siddhartha Gautama to the Buddha, and in between are row after row and column after column of gold-plated statues of Buddha and Bhutan’s most revered saints. The most breathtaking are the three beyond enormous gold-plated statues of revered Buddhist figures at the center of the hall, giving the visitor a sense of being in very divine, high energy space. 

The splendorous Punakha Dzong!

Gateway to the bridge

Gold prayer wheel by another god of direction

Stunning wood carving and painting along the door's panels

Stunning dzongkha script

Civil service officer in front of a stupa and bodhi tree

Ornate door to a temple within the dzong

More exquisite wood carving and painting craftsmanship

A senior monk poses for the camera

The old teach the young

A congregation of monks outside the main prayer hall

Ornate carving alongside window frames

Entrance to the main prayer hall where the wedding ceremony and king;s coronation took place

Another view of the spectacular dxong

The Simotkha Dzong

Lone monk exits the dzong

Brasswork on knob in shadow

And, in its full glory in sunlight

I loved Bhutan and all it has to offer.   One day, I will return to explore the eastern, less traversed part of what may be the elusive Shangri La.

Economic-Strengthening Pathways for the Bottom Billion

Hello, my lovely readers!  As mentioned in a recent post, it's very exciting to see the literary fruits after two years in my current role at the Grameen Foundation, working with some of the poorest populations of the world.  Of course, nothing beats seeing impact and an improvement in their lives.  As a practitioner, documenting our processes and learnings that allow for these outcomes is becoming increasingly important.  In May 2010, a group of practitioners gathered virtually to discuss how we can intentionally and more effectively reach and service the poorest to facilitate a sustained movement out of poverty.  This report summarizes the main issues raised during the e-consultation, “Economic-Strengthening Pathways for the Bottom Billion: Connecting the Dots,” sponsored by Poverty Outreach Working Group of The SEEP Network, May 17–19, 2011. A complete transcript of the discussion is available at http://tinyurl.com/2011econsult.

The e-consultation brought practitioners from different economic development disciplines together in order to learn about one another’s recent innovations in reaching the very poor and helping them move along an economic-strengthening pathway toward increased economic self-reliance and growth. By better understanding various dimensions of extreme poverty and identifying different segments within very poor populations, e-consultation participants started to lay a foundation for a common conceptual framework for economic strengthening. This framework reveals relevant entry points for different interventions and services along a pathway from extreme poverty to economic self-reliance.


The paper can be accessed by clicking here or copying and pasting the following link in your browser: http://www.seepnetwork.org/economic-strengthening-pathways-for-the-bottom-billion--connecting-the-dots-resources-349.php.

A Place of Travelers and Magicians

I remember one Friday afternoon in Kabul, we had little to distract ourselves with and decided to download and watch a film projected onto our dining room wall.  My very good friend and colleague found Travelers and Magicians, a Bhutanese film, depicting the tensions between the new and the old that the younger generations face.  Nyingma and Khajupa are the two sects of Buddhism practiced here, and while the former allows monks to marry, the more dominant latter limits life to prayer and the monastery.  More and more, monks are choosing to resign from such a life and join the movement towards modernization.  But, this generation is torn between two worlds because while one tempts them with an unknown future with the outside world, the other is a magical one that ties them very strongly to the magnificence of their past and present, woven by who possibly else but magicians.  I was beginning to feel convinced so as I made the two or so hour hike up to the Taktshang Goemba (Tiger’s Nest monastery), and upon reaching my destination, there wasn’t a single doubt left in my mind. 

Massive prayer wheels and strings upon strings of colorful prayer flags guided the way up to the Tiger’s Nest.  The monastery gained its name from the belief that Guru Rinpoche flew there on the back of a tiger, believed to have been a manifestation of his consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, to conquer the demon, Singey Samdrup.  He, then, stayed on to meditate in a cave for three months around which a temple has been built within the monastery.  The last stretch of the journey to the monastery included descending and then ascending a flight of 700 steps, crossing a small bridge under a waterfall, and passing the Singye Pelphu Lakhang (Snow Lion Cave), where Guru Rinpoche’s consort is believed to have meditated.  The views of the monastery grow increasingly magnificent throughout the hike, but once one reaches the entrance, it is a photographer’s torture.  Like with all temples, photography is not allowed within the walls of the structure.  It was painful to bear, but the rationale behind the rule is sound.  The monastery’s temples, like all Bhutanese temples, contain absolutely lovely bronze and gold-plated statues of the Guru, Buddha, various forms of Tara, and many other Buddhist deities.  Because the treatment of captured images by tourists can’t be controlled once removed from a memory card, the government believes the sanctity of the divine would be at risk.  The government established this rule after openings its doors to visitors to pre-empt any potential defamation of their gods and saints. 

Prayer wheel at the base of the Taktshang Goemba cliff

More prayer wheels and flags with the monastery in the backdrop

Prayer wheel, situated one hour into the hike

Prayer flags garland the hiking path

Singye Pelphu Lhakhang (Snow Lion Cave)

The monastery is comprised of a series of temples connected by courtyards lined with prayer wheels and walls covered with colorful murals depicting various scenes from Buddhist mythology.  Doorways gilded with gold and other metals with intricate designs mark the entry into each temple, the most breathtaking housing three massive statues of the divine with elaborate and colorful iron-welded backdrops of vines, lotus flowers, and celestial clouds.  Thangkas and multi-colored banners adorn the ceilings, while bronze cups of holy water and brass butter lamps embellish the shrines.  I could have remained there staring away for hours.  With such structural wonders embedded within mountain crevices or just inches from collapsing into stunning valleys, it’s no wonder that many believe Bhutan may be the long lost, elusive Shangri-La. 

Stunning Bhutanese architecture

A view of the Taktshang Goemba through prayer flags

Guru Sungjem Lhakang and Guru Tsengye Lhakhang

Another view of the Tiger's Nest, held by "angels' hairs"

Sun finally shines on the monastery

En route to the monastery

Drukpa playing the traditional chiwang (fiddle)

Before heading to Thimphu, we visited Paro (Rinpung) Dzong, which literally translates as ‘fortress on a heap of jewels.’  The dzong is overlooked by Bhutan’s national museum, which is somewhat rudimentary but still houses a spectacular collection of the colorful masks used during religious festivals.  Dzongs are some of the best examples of Bhutanese architecture and often house both civil service offices and monasteries.  The white-washed walls of the dzong are massive and are also ornamented with those stunning arch-framed windows described in yesterday’s post.  Within the outerwalls, lined with balconies at each level from which monks peer out, is the largest structure of the dzong--- a five story tower housing the government offices at the center of the courtyard.  Dzongs’ monumental size allowed for their use as fortresses from where the military could defend the country from the various invasions throughout its history. 

Manidhar flags along the banks of the Paro Chhu

Monks at their present home, Paro (Rinpung) Dzong

The Wheel of Life mural inside the Dzong

More stunning intricate word carvings

Main entrance to the Dzong

The 'Utse' or 'Central Tower' of Paro Dzong

Monk seated by the dukhang (prayer hall) entrance

LOVE these arched windows!

Guarding the dukhang

During the major festivals, the largest being tsechu, which occurs during the peak tourism season (September/October), the dzong’s courtyard is decorated with vibrant banners and thangkas as dancers adorn themselves in the most colorful of costumes and masks of animals, deities, and celestial beings to reinact significant stories and events from Buddhist folklore.  While unfortunately I’m missing out on observing and even engaging in these unique theatrical events at the heart of Bhutanese culture, I admittedly am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to explore this mystical land with the sense that I have it all to myself!