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Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan lies at an elevation of
7,600 feet in a valley transverse by the Thimphu River.
Tashichho Dzong, the main secretariat building houses
the Throne Room of the King of Bhutan, the summer
residence of the Central Monk Body and the National
Assembly Hall. The city of Thimphu is nothing
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like what a
capital city is imagined to be. Nevertheless,
for Bhutan it is a fitting and lively place. The
shops vie with each other, stocked with
varieties of commodities ranging form cooking
oil to fabrics. Old wooden houses stand side by
side with newly constructed concrete buildings,
all painted and constructed in traditional
Bhutanese architectural style.
The Handicrafts Emporium displays a wide
assortment of beautiful hand-woven and crafted
products. Prominently standing out in Thimphu is
the National Memorial Chorten (stupa), a
monument dedicated to the Third King of Bhutan
popularly known as the Father of Modern Bhutan.
The paintings and statues inside the monument
provided a very rare insight into Buddhist
philosophy.
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Five miles away
from Thimphu stands the Simtokha Dzong on a lofty ridge.
Built in 1627, this oldest Dzong in the country now
houses the School For Buddhist Studies. Other places of
interest are the School Of Traditional Painting, the
Indigenous Hospital, the National Library and the Gold &
Silversmith's Workshop.
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If ever there was a
place where nature and man conjured to create their
dearest image, it must be the Paro Valley. To the north
Mount Jhomolhari (mountain of the Goddess) reigns in
white glory and the glacier waters from its five sister
peaks plunge torrentially through deep gorges finally
converging to form the Paro River that nourishes the
rice fields and fruit orchards of Paro valley. Takshang,
literally meaning Tiger's Nest, built around a cave in
which Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambava ) meditated, clings
seemingly impossible to a cliff of rock at 3,000 feet
(800m.) above the valley floor. For local people it is a
place of pilgrimage, but for a tourist, a hike to the
viewpoint opposite the monastery in exhausting,
thrilling and mystical.
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Blessed with a
temperate climate and drained by the Phochu (male) and Mochu
(female) rivers, the fertile valley of Punakha served as the
capital of Bhutan and even today, it is the winter seat of
the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot) and the Central Monk Body. In
1667, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal built Punakha Dzong at the
junction of Phochu and Mochu rivers to serve as both the
religious and administrative center of Bhutan. Punakha Dzong
houses many sacred temples including the Machen where the
embalmed body of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal lies in
state. Damaged four times by fire in the late 18th century
and early 19th century and by earthquake in 1897, the Dzong
was completely restored by the present King. The drive from
Thimphu to Punakha crosses the high Dochula Pass, site of one
of Bhutan's most enchanting views. From this pass, the
breathtaking peaks of Bhutan's northern border can be viewed
and within sight of alpine snow is a magnificent canvas of
color ? a profusion of red, pink, white yellow and purple
rhododendron blossoms splashed among the soft green of wild
herbs and forest trees.
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Towards the south of Punakha valley lies
the valley of Wangdi Phodrang and the confluence of
Mochu and Tangchu rivers stands the impressive Wangdi
Phodrang Dzong. The higher reaches of the valley provide
rich pasture land for cattle. Phubjikha in Wangdi
Phodrang is the winter retreat for the rare Black Necked
cranes. The district is also known for its fine bamboo
work including slate and stone carvings. (* also spelt
as Wangdue Phodrang)
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 Midway
between Ha in the far west and Tashigang in the far east stands the
striking Trongsa Dzong, the ancestral home of Bhutan's Royal Family.
Both the first and second kings of Bhutan ruled the country form
this ancient seat. All four kings of Bhutan held post of Trongsa
Penlop (honorary post of Governor) prior to being crowned the king.
A massive structure with many levels that slopes down the contour of
the hill on which it is set, the Trongsa Dzong was built in 1648 and
later enlarged and decorated. Because of its highly strategic
position on the only connecting route between the eastern and
western sectors (the trail actually running through the Dzong), the
Trongsa Penlop was able to control the whole of the eastern region
effectively for many centuries.
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To the east of Trongsa lies the wide valley of
Bumthang where the tales of Padmasambava dominate the holy places.
The valley is home to the scared Jambay Lhakhang (monastery) and to
the Kurjey Lhakhang where the bodily marks of Padmasambava remain to
this day impressed on a solid rock face. Both the temples are
believed to have been built in the 8th century by Sindhu Raja after
Padmasambava had cured this ailing ruler and converted him to
Buddhist faith. Along the highway between Bumthang and Mongar is the
beautiful village of Ura. A visit to this village and the Ura
monastery will give visitors an insight into the life? style of the
people of Central Bhutan.
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Mongar is the site of one of Bhutan's newest Dzong,
built in 1930 following the traditional architectural pattern handed
down through time, without any plans on paper or the use of any
nails. A visit to this Dzong gives visitors an impression of how
over the centuries traditional Bhutanese architecture has continued
to flourish to this day without any change.
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 In
the far east of Bhutan, on the banks of Dangmechu, lies Tashigang,
the country's largest district. Once the center of a busy trade
route with Tibet, Tashigang is today the junction of the east? west
with a road connecting to the border town of Samdrup Jongkhar. Vividly colored handloom cloth and silk spun from
cocoons bred from castor oils plants, are local specialties. Other
places of interest area Chorten Kora in Tashi Yangtsi, Khaling
Handloom Center and the Radi Village which is the gateway to Merak
and Sakten in the easternmost part of Bhutan.
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