Lush farmlands, the unique architecture of the dwellings with their stark mud-brick walls, brightly coloured windows and pine shingle roofs, and men and women in colourful, richly woven attire.

We are in Druk Yul, the land of the Thunder Dragon.

Paro, where we land, is on the banks of the Paro Chu. It’s name derived, as my guide explains, from pado, a hat worn by Tibetan women in earlier days. To the Tibetans who are believed to have discovered it, the valley looked familiar...

Spread out like a giant canvas along the river to the foothills, among vast fields sprinkled with pink and white cosmos, its two-storey homes vivid with chillies strung out to dry, the place has a quaint old-world charm about it. We walk down its lone main street to join a crowd that is glued, with unwavering concentration, to a game of archery, a sport that retains its age-old etiquette.

Ta Dzong is high on a hill. Once a natural watchtower it is now the National Museum. Its circular gallery-spaces treasure collections of arts, relics and religious thangkas that reflect an amazing culture. A leisurely amble downhill lands us at Rinpung Dzong, a huge structure with stunning woodwork, the intricacies carved to symmetrical perfection and beautifully painted. Exiting through an ancient cantilever bridge, I catch the edifice through fluttering prayer flags, the sun peeping erratically from behind the clouds.

The Kichu Lakhang monastery.

Kichu Lakhang, just outside Paro town, is quite hidden from view till we actually reach it. It is considered the oldest monastery in Bhutan, with its beautiful statue of the future Buddha. I sit awhile with two wizened elders who seem to have been here eternally, turning giant prayer wheels before doing what gives an immense peace — lighting a butter lamp.

Back on the road again we’re off to Drugyel Dzong, a fortress right out of some mediaeval illustration. Straddled on a hillock, in a grove of cypresses, it looks regal, even though in ruins. It once stood sentinel, warding off invaders; today it looks into a serene landscape, where far off in the horizon, on a clear day, can be seen the rounded dome of Mt Chomolhari.

Early next morning we’re off on an adventure, a hike to Taktsang Lakhang perched high on a precipice. It’s a spectacular trail through pine and oak, narrow rock-cut steps, past a waterfall that drops from far above our heads. The great mystic Guru Rinpoche is said to have come here on a flying dakini (tiger) centuries ago, bringing with him the teachings of the Buddha. Tales enchant and there’s one in every nook here.

On the freeway from Thimpu we stop a bit at the chuzom (confluence) of the Paro Chu and the Wang Chu, taking in the spectacular scene across. Three chortens — Tibetan, Chinese and Nepalese — stand here, erected to restrain evil spirits from entering the valley, we are told.

Just a bit further on is Tachho Lakhang, the Temple of the Hill of Excellent Horse dedicated to the steed Balaha — a manifestation of the compassionate Buddha, and above it the cave where the legendary Thang Thong Gyalpo stayed when he came looking for iron ore to build suspension bridges way back in the early 15th century. Visiting it means consulting an astrologer for an auspicious day. Since that’s a precaution we’ve not taken, we move on.

Sangay Gang, the sacred hill, is festooned with a million prayer flags, their gentle flapping almost musical. From here Thimpu, veiled in an evening mist, looks ethereal.

Sauntering downhill we reach a small reserve where a few dong gyem tsey, or takin, graze. The takin is perhaps one of the queerest creatures that roam the high meadows of Bhutan. According to popular legend, it was the creation of Lama Drukpa Kuenley — somewhat of a prankster — who one day at the behest of his feasting companions used his magical powers. He took a heap of goat and cow bones and fused them together...

Bhutanese children on their way to school.

It’s up again, to Dohon Dzong, which stands atop a hillock where a dohon (blue stone) was evidently found while it was being built. Harking back to 1212, it time and again fell to oil lamp fires, but was resurrected. I sit on its stone steps, immersed in the chanting of monks that emanates from a nearby monastery and continue my spiritual flight at Dupthop Lhakang, joining in with the nuns as they pray.

It’s at the Folk Arts and Heritage Museum, a charming old-style home, that we get glimpses of life as it was lived in days gone by. And it is at the School for Arts and Crafts that I get to understand the Bhutanese passion for conserving their traditional skills: sculpture, carving, weaving, the intricacies of thangka painting, and vast canvases for monasteries being worked upon with rock pigments that take years to complete.

Ever since my first postal stamps from this mountain kingdom years ago, I’ve been mesmerised by these philatelic wonders. So I visit the Post Office with its small museum. The stamps are as beautifully creative as ever and I pick up some to add to my collection.

Thereafter it’s to the Bhutanese Kitchen for a taste of the signature ema datshi, an incredibly pungent cheese and chilli mélange, and other traditional fare.

Much later, torch in hand, I walk up a hilly trail to stand and stare at the city that looks magical by night.

And before I leave I pick up a bunch of plump red chillies — a reminder of an exotic land.

Druk Air flights are available from Delhi and Kolkata

There are no visa requirements for Indian nationals. Entry permit is stamped on passport on arrival at Paro.

For travel and accommodation access Bhutan Tourism Corporation’s official site www.kingdomofbhutan.com

Remember to carry rainwear, sturdy walking shoes and light woollens.

More Stories on : International Travel | Tourism

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page