Once the capital of Bhutan, the royal city of Punakha sits in a fertile valley at the confluence of the Pho Chhu (male) and Mo Chhu (female) rivers. Punakha valley is one of the agricultural powerhouses in Western Bhutan due to the warmer (even hot during the summer) weather and abundant availability of freshwater from the rivers. The valley is covered with endless white and red rice fields that change colour from lush green in the summer to golden yellow in the fall. The main attraction here is the dzong sitting right on the meeting spot of the two rivers and is arguably one of the prettiest in all of Bhutan.
Punakha Dzong
The dzong sits right on the river banks of the Pho Chhu (male) and Mo Chhu (female). Such location, together with the intricate carvings in its interior make it one of the most stunning in the entire country (see our list of the most beautiful dzongs in Bhutan). Its beauty is such that the King and Queen chose this as the venue for their wedding ceremony in 2011, and the Je Kenpho (the spiritual leader of Bhutan) calls this fortress his home during the winter months. The monastery interestingly consists of three courtyards, instead of two like other dzongs. The first courtyard hosts administrative offices. The second courtyard, which is also the smallest, is the site of the utse (central tower). The third and innermost courtyard houses one of Bhutan’s holiest sites: Machey Lhakhang, where the embalmed remains of Ngawang Namgyal (the lama who unified Bhutan) are kept. The impressive murals on the southernmost end date back to the 16th century and depict the life of the Buddha. To make this place even more mysterious, lamas from all over the world visit the temple and occasionally perform miracles – some are even believed to have turned rice grains into small gold nuggets.
Chimi Lhakhang and the phallic paintings
Located a few kilometers west of Punakha town (and mostly visited en route from, or to, Thimphu), Chimi Lhakhang sits on top of a small hill, surrounded on all sides with fertile rice fields. A short and scenic hike brings one to a small modest monastery that was established in 15th century by the monk Drukpa Kunley also known as the Divine Madman or ‘fertility saint’, believed to have achieved sainthood by subduing a demoness with his phallus. He became famous for his ‘unorthodox’ methods of enlightening others – among others, women would seek his blessing in the form of sex. He is also believed to have introduced the practice of phallus paintings in Bhutan to scare away evil spirits – such paintings can be found on numerous farmhouses throughout Bhutan. Today, women still visit the temple and bring wine bottles as offerings, hoping to receive blessings in order to be able to bear children.
The suspension bridge
The recently completed footbridge just a few hundred meters from Punakha dzong hangs over the Mo Chhu river and connects the city to the villages on the other side. It is the second longest suspension bridge in the world! If you are not afraid of a little wobbling, it is worth taking the 10- to 20-minute walk across it and stopping along the way for scenic photographs of the river.
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