" Glimpses of Bhutan , the" Land of Thunder Dragon "
Glimpses of BHUTAN – Treasure of Pristine Natural Beauty
Journey to picturesque Bhutan, a Himalayan Kingdom is completely mesmerizing. Bhutan stands true to it’s nicknames – “ Land of Thunder Dragon “ , Land of Hidden Treasures “ & “ The Kingdom in the Sky “. It is perched beautifully in the Eastern part of Himalaya which makes it one of the most favourite tourist destination.
As soon as one enters Bhutan from the Indian side at Phuentsholing , a calm, clean and green ambiance welcomes him. The natural beauty of Thimphu , capital of Bhutan and the lush green Paro valley have been displayed here as viewed through our lens.
THIMPHU
· “ BUDDHA DORDENMA “ – A 51 m high magnificent statue of ‘Buddha’ on a hill top overlooking Thimphu valley.
· A Meditation Hall is below the statue which houses 1,25,000 miniature Buddha statue of different sizes from 8 to 12 inches tall.
· A number of statue of deities are placed around main statue .
· “ National Memorial Choeten “ – Built in memory of the third Druk Gyelpo, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck and dedicated to world peace.
· A devotee rotating ‘ Dharmchakra’ , a giant size Dharmachakra in the backdrop.
· “TASHICHHO DZONG” – A sprawling and magnificent building complex which houses Govt. Offices. An iconic building which depict true Bhutanese art and architecture.
· “SIMTOKHA DZONG’ – The 1st Dzong of Bhutan , built in 1629.
PARO
· “PARO TAKTSANG” or “ TIGER’S NEST “ – The most sacred place of Bhutan , located on a cliffside of mountain range in upper Paro valley. Dedicated to Guru Padamsambhava (also called )Guru Rinpoche who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan.
· A vintage wooden bridge across Paro river and a Dzong in the backdrop is very eye soothing.
· Paro International Airport - located amidst lush green Paro valley. Paro river meanders along Airport approach road. A great tourist attraction.
TRADITIONAL DRESS & CULTURE
‘GOH’ - A traditional men’s wear , which is a knee - length robe.
· ‘KIRA’ – A traditional women’s wear , which is a long ankle-length dress worn with a jacket called ‘Tego’.
· Men play ‘Archery’ which is the national game and very popular.
· String of’ Prayer Flags are tied at worship place for blessings & good luck . Each specific colour symbolizes basic elements of nature such as :
Red ----- Fire
Green ---- Water
Yellow --- Earth
Blue -------Sky & Space
White ----- Air & Wind
SPECIAL FEATURES
· No traffic light used at road junction.
· No one use traffic horn.
· Vehicular traffic give priority to pedestrian.
· No vendor stalls at road side foot path, all commercial shops and hotels properly aligned.
· No dumping of waste is allowed in river. Fishing is prohibited in river along city area.
A journey to Bhutan takes one close to nature and fills with divine energy.
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