Druk wangyal chorten

Says it all

There are inserts here from our friend Wikipedia, so just skip if boring. I can't remember everything so I'm trying to put in details before I go somewhere so that I can remember pieces.

The chorten was wonderful, interesting to see, but the amazing piece about this pass is that it overlooks the Himalayas towards China. For a tiny country like Bhutan, looking at that border must bring at least an illusion of safety.

Built in 2004 to "...celebrate the stability and progress that His Majesty has brought to the nation," this hill of 108 religious buildings in the middle of the pass reflects Bhutan’s spiritual and artistic traditions.

I already wrote about our 5 and 1/2 hour bus ride to Panakha, seeing the chorten on the way. The Dzong  really is spectacular. We didn't get to see all of it. Only because a woman who is very connected was with us, were we allowed in the administrative side of the Dzong. The King is (was now, 7am this am) getting married there and the monks were tromping hither and yon with different robes and instruments getting ready. Watching the countryside getting ready for the wedding processional through the country was incredible. It's like a country-wide party with grins and did-you-knows and photos everywhere. No conflict here like when William and Kate were getting wed. The King is so beloved, and for good reason, that it really does feel like a celebration with love for him and his beautiful bride. See? It infects you, I'm gushing.

The Punakha Dzong, also known as Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong (meaning “the palace of great happiness or bliss”[1][2]) is the administrative centre of Punakha dzongkhag in Punakha, Bhutan. Constructed by Zhabdrung (Shabdrung) Ngawang Namgyal in 1637-38,[1][3] it is the second oldest and second largest dzong in Bhutan and one of its most majestic structures.[1][4] The Dzong houses the sacred relics of the southern Drukpa Kagyu school including the Rangjung Kasarpani, and the sacred remains of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and Terton Padma Lingpa. Punakha Dzong was the administrative centre and the seat of the Government of Bhutan until 1955, when the capital was moved to Thimphu.[2][4][5]

According to a local legend, the sage Guru Rinpoche prophesized that “a person named Namgyal will arrive at a hill that looks like an elephant”. Zhamdrup Namgyal found the peak of the hill, which appeared in the shape of trunk of an elephant as prophesized, and built the dzong in 1637-38.[5] Another legend tells how Zowe Palep, the architect, had a vision in a dream after the Zhamdrup Namgyal ordered him to sleep under a small structure which contained a statue of the Buddha, known as Dzong Chug (small dzong). In his dream, prompted by the psychic powers of the Zhamdrup, he had a clear vision of a palace for Guru Rinpoche. The vision was imprinted on the architect's mind, enabling him to conceive the plan for the Dzong without putting the vision on paper and to build it.[5] On the basis of the dream vision of the architect, the building of the Dzong was started in 1637 and completed in 1638, at the place where the Dzong Chug (small dzong), had existed. During this period, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal became the first religious-political leader, following his concerted efforts to unify the country into one unit as Bhutan. The dzong was consecrated in the name of Pungthang Dechen Phodrang. In 1639, a commemorative chapel was erected to house the arms seized from the Tibetans who were defeated by the Bhutanese on this spot. Zhabdrung also set up a monastic order with 600 monks (brought from Cheri Gompa of upper Thimpu valley) and he lived here till his death. The spire at the top of the utse (the dzong’s central tower or the main tower[4]) was added in 1676 by Gyaltsen Tenzin Rabgye–the abbot of the dzong. Further additions were made during the period 1744 to 1763, when Sherab Wangchuk was the ruler. A large Thangka known as chenma (great) thoundral of the Zhabdrung was donated to the Dzong by the Desi (ruler). This thangka is displayed during the Tsechu festival held once a year here. The Seventh Dalai Lama donated the brass roof for the dzong.[5]

Took us 2 hours to get back, traffic at a minimum and it felt like we flew. Went through one town gate where the whole village was lined up with offerings, flowers and instruments, practicing for the processional.

Dinner that night with the minister of culture, I think. The food was indescribable. I'll leave it at that. I sat with a very nice group and it was a VERY long dinner. At one point I just said, ok, y'all speak Chinese, y'all Japanese, you can talk to yourself in Bhutanese and I'll have a calm, quiet meditative dinner. Obviously, I knew most of them pretty well at that point. Then after another painful quiet period, I just mentally threw up my hands and said, ok we're going to play the what-if game. I can see my kids' eyes rolling as I write. I said if you could have a store, what would it be? It was one of the best parts of dinner. Turns out that LopenSherab, our cherubic monk, loves cartoons and would open a cartoon store. He loves Tom and Jerry and his eyes lit up when he asked if I had seen Kung Fu Panda. I'm cracking up again as I write. Then when we got to one of the Japanese architects, as he's manfully trying to wrestle with a piece of sausage (?), he said he'd open a sushi store. ONLY sushi. Again, we all cracked up. Again, general laughter when they saw my face after trying the seaweed soup. So there were moments.

Adorable

Road Etiquette...

Road etiquette, narrow road, two way, 1 and 1/2 lanes, when passing, blow horn, car/truck ahead will signal with left signal if ok/safe to pass and pull slightly over. If not safe, will signal with right signal and passing driver will wait until given left signal. Everyone follows this, no one has male ego of unconsciously stepping on the gas as soon as someone has temerity to try to pass. Always final toot of horn as passing to say thank you. Unbelievably civilized and feels safe on these cliff edge curvy roads.

Cedar forest

Took a few photos until she saw one she liked.

Prayer flags at chorten

At the Druk Wangyel chorten

Farmhouse

Typical farmhouse

Near Dzong we couldn't go to, helps women who have fertility problems

Himalayas

Inside Panakha monastery

Large prayer wheel Hard to see, but kids sitting around a playing a game where they take turns running and turning the wheel. Kind of like the games our kids play... not.

Kueng working her wiles on cell with the ministry

Love this one

Most of the group

Panahka Dzong

Panakha Dzong decorated for the wedding

Practicing for processional, people on sides behind us (too slow with camera) all had offerings.

Farming valley

Harvesting rice

Drying rice (FYI, you can now get Butanese rice at Whole Foods)

Rice pile. Like our hay piles, except their usually have a shape at top like a temple (this one still being built)

Village

Many, many roofs have large patches of drying chiles, this is the first I've seen with yellow

Rocks on all roofs, even our new fancy hotel, keeps the wind from blowing the roof off!

Most farming done in terraces

School in Thimpu practicing for Thimpu wedding ceremony

Boy on left was a total ham, on right is LopenShera

The fourth king initiated democracy and moving away from strict monarchy.

Signs everywhere

All of small village

Students studying from college

Village flags linking street for the King and his bride

Sweeping the road in preparation for the Processional

Thinpu

Village gate for wedding processional

All walking back from digging holes, carrying and planting flags

Paper Factory

This was two days ago now. I thought I was going to be able to write a lot yesterday on the bus ride over to Punakha since it was a two hour ride. Well, I got to sit in the co-pilot chair, no seatbelt, and an incredible road. Incredible because there was one. It was about 1 and 1/2 car width with two way traffic, bumps rocks, twists so sharp I was hanging onto whatever I could and wishing for handles. And, the scenery was incredible. So it was like a 5 and 1/2 hour adventure ride, really hard to write.

So two days ago, went to a paper factory making paper in the traditional Bhutanese way, but expedited so they make 1600 sheets of paper a day. My pictures are better than words, but probably not worth putting all of them in, but they show the whole progression. We then went to a textile museum, the fabrics are incredible, all different patterns from different regions. We then went to a weaving factory? So not the right term, but a large place with two floors, the bottom of which was filled with maybe 20 women working on large looms with all sorts of colors and graduated complexity until the last row of women were working on patterns we had a hard time even seeing, much less understanding how they were able to count the threads. Gorgeous.

Then - another formal dinner, this one hosted by MInister of Culture, a gregarious guy with a great sense of humor. However, I wasn't sitting near him so not quite as boisterous. Still interesting though because I was sitting next to this beautiful young woman who's finishing her post-doctoral work focusing on conservation and archeology - in London. Then she's coming back here and targeted to start the government's archeological department. We've talked now at three dinners so this time I got to ask her all the questions I actually had been wondering about. Like why did the 4th king marry four sisters at the same time? That sort of thing. Then the woman on the other side of me runs a montessori preschool with 86 kids. She is the Minister's wife and I had a hard time understanding her, plus had a hard time engaging her the first three times I tried. It wasn't until the dinner was almost over that I found out about the preschool and then we were off and running, talking about autism in Bhutan, parents' shifting roles with work and home, couldn't believe it, after 2+ hours of not being able to engage. She was great and wanted me to come by, but days aren't allowing time yet.

Paper Factory

Paper factory; women sorting bamboo

Tangha (sp?) workshop

Weaving workshop

Lunch with the Queen Grandmother

We drove from Paro to Thimpu, a city of 80,000, the biggest by far in Bhutan. We drove in and I talked about the Thimpu Festival that actually wasn't on our schedule, but sounded fantastic. So the whole group went really quickly into the hotel, dumped our stuff and right off to see a bit of the last day of the festival. This festival celebrates the start of Thimpu, tells Bhuddist history, how Bhutan become both Bhuddist and cohesive, all with dance and a few instruments. Similar to what we'd seen the night before, but on a grand scale. We had to have long sleeves and no hats to get into this formal scene, hundreds, if not thousands of people jammed into this Tendrelthang, an auspicious space, the 5th king was crowned there (the one we'll see get married). It was an outdoors amphitheaterish space attached to the Dzong, the main Dzong for the country. The colors of the attendees was unbelievable. Like a giant live flower garden. Everyone wears their best wear, only Bhutanese costume. Westerners stood out like weeds.

People crammed into the small passing spaces, all civil, calm while pushing to get to an increasingly rare seat. And oh man, it was hot. Men wear these cream sashes, received when they are 15, women beautiful more formal sashes received at 15, all beautifully draped across their shoulders. They'd sit down and the sashes came off and up and covered as many heads as they could since they're not allowed umbrellas or hats. Rick and I managed to find a standing spot alongside one of the banks of cement risers, pretty protected from the shoving crowd and we could see the action down on the large square. We  only stayed an hour, our attention equally split between the dances being performed and the crowd passing between us. Every once in a while we'd see an "ugly" tourist with his camera, I swear, focusing right up at one of the wonderful faces in the crowd and snapping away. Everyone just took the weeds amidst the flowers in stride.

Rick and I were then whisked away by car to join the Ho;s for lunch with the Queen Grandmother, Ashi Kesang. My second lesson in quietly groaning about having to do a formal dinner. It was wonderful. Her house was maybe the size of ours? Couldln't see all of it, of course, but the dining room was small enough that we were split into two groups. There were 10 westerners and the rest, maybe another 10? Bhutanese. We sat around the living room in small couches for two and three or chairs that went around the perimeter. Usually a horrifying situation for conversation. Instead, no matter who I sat next to, we had a great conversation. One highlight, during lunch I sat with an older gentleman who excused his western attire (bright red vest) saying the Queen had given him permission because the gho was too uncomfortable to tie over his surgery from January. Anyway, he was full of life, had been instrumental in helping form the government, Minister of Health and Ed, then Culture and now Ecology. He runs a radio station, started the first one, going to the King and asking for radio facility. I guess everyone tuned into his Sunday morning program (young woman next to me confirmed this, saying no one would miss it.) In one of his (canNOT get these names so that I can write them or even pronounce them) earliest programs, he announced that from now on, Bhutan was not going to announce time according to  Indian time.  Instead Bhutan was going to have it's own time, 1/2 hour ahead of India. So as of now, it is 8:30am  Bhutan time. The next morning, ministers were 1/2 hour late going to their meeting with the King, who couldn't believe it. So not done. They all said, we're on Bhutan time now. When I told Rick this story, he said no one is on the half hour. I said India is. I was 12.5 hours ahead when I was in India.

Then a new princess joined us, beautiful and in her 30's, everyone stood up when she came in, normal procedure and when she sat down this same gentleman told me that she was very active in helping volunteer organizations, a lot Christian organizations that help those with drug and alcohol addictions. She'd dress in common wear and go out with only a monk accompanying her. She'd then serve dinners, wash the feet of homeless, whatever needed to be done to get a sense of what the organization was doing and how effective they were. The queen grandmother was also beautiful, gracious, easily conversing. In her 80's, you'd never guess. Rick said, and he has to be right, that this is the most beautiful royal family anywhere.

At the end of the lunch, after coffee and tea back in the LR, the queen grandmother stood up, everyone stood up, shook hands, said thank you and left. I love how things end here with royalty. No lingering, can I go yet. Same thing happened at the next event. (Oh and for those who knew my angst with clothes for India, I've hit it dead on here, nice to be comfortable and not stand out like a yee haw.)

So the next event (are you tired yet?) was going to the monastery where astrologers are trained, Pangri Zampa Temple. We met the Queen Mother and the rest of the group there. The Queen Mother told us all of these facts and stories, she was truly wonderful and beautiful, of course, maybe early 40's?  These boys apply to be an astrologer at the age of 12 and have 6 years of training at a minimum. The kingdom realized that the oulying areas of Bhutan didn't have enough astrologers and were having to travel long distances to learn about auspicious times for weddings, plantings, festivals, you name it. Also, they risked having the practice die out without a more formal way of training people. Thus they moved the group from their crowded quarters at the main Dzong (same place we went for the festival) to their own space out a bit from town.

According to legend, spellbindingly told by the Queen Mother, the original Shabdrung (an honorary title meaning "at whose feet one submits") was Ngawang Namgyal, an abbot from Tibet who fled persecution to Bhutan, arriving in 1616 and over the next 30 years, crushed all opposition and unified the country. He had been told by a protective deity in a vision that he should follow a raven and he would find a place with cypress trees, a river and a plain and know this was where he was to rule. Queen Ashi Sangay Choeden Wangchuck (found it in a book) told us The Shabdrung came with a staff and two sheep. When he found the place of his vision, he stuck his staff in the ground and it became a cypress tree that still stands. She had us hold hands, taking mine (!) and it took 23 of us, one of her general bodyguards ran around counting, holding hands and stretched out to get around it. The sheeps' skeletons are buried in the chortens that are the two orgiinal monastaries on the grounds.  Pangri Zampa had two temples, both 400ish years old. They were actually present when he arrived, built to celebrate local deities as well as Buddhism.. There were paintings left from that era as well as paintings added after Shabdrung's arrival. Remarkable paintings and images, I'm beginning to realize that I probably won't see any paintings that aren't remarkable.

We had tea with the Queen Mother. I sat next to this wonderful woman who had started the Bhutanese textile museum at the request of the government. It was slow going, but they finally had an opening. There was a Wall St. Journal journalist there and he asked one of the curators why there was so little in the museum. The answer was that most of the ancient textiles were outside the country because they had been sold off by people who didn't know or needed money because they were a poor country. There were three individuals known to have a great deal of the textiles because they collected them. The journalist wrote the article, told the story and named the three. A Swedish businessman was traveling and picked up the Journal. He read this story and was struck by it. He'd never even heard of Bhutan before. He landed in DC, called a friend and asked if he could get an intro to the woman named in the article. He did and the woman said she didn't know what he was talking about. The guy was persistent and after a year, he presented to the textile museum 107 pieces of antique Bhutanese textiles. Amazing, right? The government asked him if he had any recommendations for them and he said that they should start a textile factory that specializes in finding and restoring textiles and preserving the ancient techniques and patterns. The woman I talked to was also starting this and it was just newly in operation.  Then the Queen Mother stood up - worked again, I love it. We were off. For a free evening! Rick and I unpacked and had a quiet dinner. So nice.

Carving being done for the new monestery that Queen Mother Ashi is building

Another carving, Goddess manifestation of Avalokitesvara

Entering Thimphu festival

Monks perform religious dance

Festival Audience