Druk Diaries

In the winter of 2018 as we traversed the breadth of Sikkim, indulging ourselves amidst light snowfall in Zuluk and heavy snowfall in Ravangla seeds of intent for our next trip had already begun sprouting in the inner confines of our mind. After much deliberation and discussion throughout 2019, we finally decided to explore similar mountainous terrain but beyond Indian borders and settled on Bhutan.

Known officially as the Kingdom of Bhutan, the Dzongkha endonym for the country half as large as the Indian state of West Bengal and only one-eighth the size of the state of Maharashtra, is Druk-yul meaning ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’ – a reference to the Drukpa school of Vajarayana Buddhism that is predominant in the country. With only 1.1% of its total area under water, the country is land-locked on all sides by Tibet, China and the Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. From India the only entrance by road is through the state of West Bengal. Although Bhutan does have an airport in Paro, we preferred to take the road to Bhutan for two reasons – one, the Kanchankanya Express which departs from Sealdah station of North Kolkata passes through the beautiful tea gardens of North Bengal and the Dooar hill forests post Siliguri Junction station which affords the inquisitive nature-loving traveller the opportunity to gaze at a rich variety of flora and fauna from the comfortable confines of the train coaches and two, economically a train journey is at least 10 times as cheap as a flight journey from Calcutta Airport to Paro Airport.

Having boarded the Kanchankanya Express (13149) from Sealdah at 8:30pm on the 21^st of January 2020, we called it a night after a sumptuous feast of home-made fried rice, chilly chicken and chocolate cake, only to wake up the next morning to deers sprinting alongside the train, squirrels playing hide-and-seek amidst the fern trees and wild grass and the sunlight trying to find its way in through the thick foliage of oak and pine trees. Split into numerous rays by the tall standing trees the rays illuminated the sparkling waters of the Teesta and the Torsa, children going to school through the trails amidst the thick foliage and rows and rows of tea plantations that stretched till it disappeared into the horizon. The train however was running late by over one and a half hours and reached Hasimara station, our destination at 1:00 pm instead of the scheduled 11:05 am. Alighting from the train, we made our way across the rustic looking station, right out of a Ruskin Bond classic and met our hired driver waiting outside the station gate.

Jaigaon, the border village on the Indian side of the Bhutan Gate is around 18 km along the National Highway 317A from Hasimara. Already delayed due to the lack of punctuality by Indian Railways, we were now battling a 3pm shutdown deadline of immigration clearance. Although Indian citizens do not need a Visa to visit Bhutan, we do need a permit for each city we visit. From Phuentsholing , which is the border town on the Bhutanese side, immigration permits for both people and vehicles are drawn up for the cities of Thimphu and Paro with the only requisites of permits for people being either a valid Voter ID card or passport, a passport-size photograph and a biometric scan of the two index fingers and facial photograph taken onsite. The process took us about an hour during which time we walked over to Jaigaon and completed our lunch. Having obtained the permits successfully and having been informed about how issuance of permits takes upto 3-4 hours during November-December, we started our journey towards Thimphu, having accepted our good luck. Two overwhelming differences struck us immediately as we crossed the Rinchending Checkpoint – with a population density of less than 20 people/ sq. km., which to put into perspective is one-eighth the population density of Shimla, one-twentieth the population density of India, one-thousandth the population density of Mumbai city, Bhutan is devoid of the quintessential cacophony characteristic of Indian cities dominated by honking horns and revels in the cleanliness of the air and the surroundings . We were largely impressed by the singular impact of a gate that demarcates unique identities in the same landmass, the difference being almost impossible to miss on either side of the Bhutan Gate.

As we made our way through the winding mountain roads, making our way uphill towards the capital city, rows and rows of hills and mountains presented themselves around the corners ranging from hills adorned with pine forests from the peak to the foothills to gradually unclear green and blue silhouettes plastered against the bright blue skies adorned with a few floating cirrus clouds. A rich splattering of greenery greeted our eyes from all directions as overhanging creepers, grasses, ferns and a variety of shrubs complimented the majestic oaks, pines and cypress. From time to time the car would disappear into the clouds with nothing visible beyond 50 m on either side and a careful drive through the clouds would again warrant a sudden appearance into a clearing that once again presented a green and blue mountainside view punctuated by traditional Bhutanese architectural constructions – white-washed buildings with the typical lotus patterned window arches and sloping wood-shingled roofs that curve up at their end , sometimes in the shape of dragon visages.

Clean roads lined with trees near Takin Reserve in Thimphu

By late evening we reached Thimphu and checked in to our hotel. At a walking distance from our hotel was the Cham Lam Road which housed the national football stadium and several cafes which we explored over the next day and Norzin Lam which housed the main market, a few restaurants, convenience stores, a vibrant handicrafts market and the Textile Museum. At sub-zero temperatures we walked up Drentoen Lam past the Bhutan Postal Corporation and onto Norzin Lam. Having selected a restaurant that was dedicatedly serving Bhutanese cuisine (brug-zas), we gorged on datsi, ribs, red rice, momos and tshoem. Local wines and liquors are dirt-cheap and we wasted no time in gulping down our food with the famous Takin Red Wine and the K5 whiskey. A walk through Thimphu city at night in sub-zero temperatures was a surreal experience not attributed merely to the tremendous traffic discipline on display which warranted a complete absence of any traffic signals of any sort and a system where vehicles did not touch speeds north of 40 kmph and they stopped for pedestrians crossing roads at zebra crossings, but also to the lack of too many people. Largely empty yet entirely safe streets afforded the opportunity to observe normal and natural Thimphu life exist amidst us- mothers running home after a day of hard work with their children strapped to their backs in a cloth quiver, men in the traditional gho catching up over a  glass of traditional rice-wine called ‘aara’ in restaurants, clumps of localites hanging about the footpath here and there discussing the weather and the upcoming AFC Cup football match and women in the traditional kira downing shutters to leave for home.

Thimphu Valley as seen from Kuensel Phodrang

View of Thimphu Valley from Buddha Point

After a good night’s sleep in an artificially heated room in a city shivering under sub-zero temperatures, we set out the next morning amidst muted sunshine, strong winds and pleasantly cold weather to explore Thimphu city. Driving through the Doeboom Lam and past the iconic National Memorial Chorten and the majestic Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital we were told how medical services in the country were largely government-sponsored in the country resulting in a very low rate of privatisation of medicine sales and almost no private practices in the medical profession in Bhutan. Leaving behind the city perimeter soon, we started to scale the Gaki Lam, again following the clean and beautiful winding roads up through the Kuensel Phodrang nature park, to catch glimpses of the valley below housing the city of Thimphu represented from the top by green, red and silver sloping roofs stretching till mountains appeared on the horizon. The Tashichho Dzong and the King’s quarters were the white and red centrepieces in the maze that was Thimphu from a few thousand feet higher. Looking up, a striking scene met our eyes – something we had missed as we had made our way to Thimphu in the darkness of the night. Above the silhouetted pine forests plastered against the stunningly beautiful aquamarine sky sat the silhouette, unmistakably of the Buddha Shakyamuni. The awe-inspiring sight of the Buddha seated meditating on the trees that make this land overlooking the valley from the southern approach took some time to adjusting to. Finally, after a drive of about an hour and a half we reached the Great Buddha Dordenma, popularly known as Buddha Point. Situated amidst the ruins of an erstwhile palace, the statue is about 169 feet tall and although there is a vehicular access road that leads right to the base of the bronze statue, we preferred to take the 300 odd stairs. As we climbed up the stairs carved out of the rocky mountain, slowly the statue started to appear as if emerging out of the horizon. As we reached the top, the true impact of 51.5 m towering over us pervaded our consciousness as we looked around at humans looking like tiny ants hustling and bustling about in front of the giant Buddha smiling serenely. Adorned by Bodhisattvas on all sides the statue houses a meditation hall in its pedestal which in turn, is home to 1,00,000 8-inch-tall and 25,000 12-inch-tall gilded bronze statues of the Buddha and a giant statue of Avalokitesvara, the God of Compassion.

Statue of Buddha Shakyamuni looking over Thimphu Valley from Kuensel Phodrang

Buddha Dordenma - 169 feet

Descending and hardly expecting a comparable experience we made our way back within the city only to stop by an ‘alive’ heritage museum called ‘Simply Bhutan’ on Genyen Lam. The so-calle museum took us through the traditions of Bhutanese culture from making and offering of ‘aara’- the rice wine to the making of ‘suja’ literally meaning ‘mashed tea’ made from butter, salt, tea leaves and hot water. Not only were we shown the utensils used to make such delicacies but also shown many traditional weapons, equipment and machines that were historically utilised by the largely agrarian people. The guides took us through traditional ways of making houses, different ways to decorate something with a white satin cloth to symbolize different things, the importance of the phallus in Bhutanese culture and the importance of a single letter in a surname which may cause you to be mistaken for a royal. The tour through the single-storied multi-roomed building moved towards culmination with a visit to the studio-cum-shop of the foot sculptor Pema Tshering, whose story and life is a potential inspiration to all and ended with an opportunity to dance the local dance with kira-clad localites to Dzongkha tunes while sipping hot suja with crispy puffed rice.

Pema Tshering's workshop and studio in Simply Bhutan, Thimphu

Back on Norzin Lam to the immigration office to get the permits made for Punakha, Chele La Pass and Ha Valley, we again hunted out a restaurant serving Bhutanese cuisine and gorged on thukpa, maru, red rice and brug-zas styled spaghetti. Post lunch we walked across the road to the Textile Museum next to the handicrafts market and spent a good half-an-hour exploring different weaving styles from the different districts of Bhutan, different ornaments and accessories both traditional and modern, thangka painting styles and video lessons on how to wear the traditional ‘gho’ for men and ‘kira’ for women. Post this, we rushed to the northern extremes of the city to the Tashichho Dzong, the fort cum monastery to watch the Druk-yul flag being lowered at 3:30 pm. A half-hour wait later we were taken inside the administrative and religious headquarters of Thimphu by a guide. As we walked past the huge whitewashed walls beneath the red sloping roofs and traditional wooden cornice of the Dzong, we were shown the Dechencholing Palace on the banks of the river, locally called the Wang Chhu. In-keeping with the traditional architectural rules of Bhutanese culture, the quarters too had white washed walls, shingled-red sloping roof with a decorated wooden cornice with motifs of the Buddhist symbols integral to Bhutanese heritage and windows bearing the iconic trefoil motif locally called horzhing. Climbing the large stone steps of the Dzong, we walked past walls adorned with motifs of deities prevalent in Vajarayana form of Buddhism till we were led into a vast open courtyard which was surrounded on all four sides by the Lhakhang Sarp (the new temple), the now-unused Utse tower, the main Gonkhang (protector temple), a wall with a row of prayer wheels and retiring quarters for the monks. The administrative seat of the King, the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Home Minister lay behind the Utse tower directly opposite to the Lhakhang Sarp, which housed statues of the Buddha, Guru Padmasambhava (called the second Buddha in Bhutan for spreading principles of Vajarayana Buddhism to Bhutan), Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (who unified the various fiefdoms into the single country of Druk-yul), the local deity Gyenyen Jagpa Milen , the God of Compassion and Drukpa Kunley (known as the Divine Mad Man). Just like the Sistine Chapel, the awe-inspiring painting on the ceiling astounded all. Stepping out after offering prayer inside, we buttoned up our jackets as the sun began to dip behind the mountains ensuring the air got colder and the place much chillier than before. The evening and night was spent exploring the cafes, pubs and karaoke bars in and around Cham Lam Road before we retired for the night.

Dechencholing Palace from the Tashichho Dzong

Utse Tower and Administrative Block of Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu

The next day we set our, early in the morning, for Punakha. As we exited the city perimeters and revved up the car to above 60 kmph winding our way through the mountainous terrain, the Himalayan range of Bhutan started to peek out from behind the pre-Himalayan ranges. Being an unnaturally cloudy day, we were denied a full view of the snow-clad peaks however and when we reached Dochula Pass, around 27 km from Thimphu city, the clouds had descended on the 10,200 ft high point obstructing clear view of even the memorial chortens from the meditation caves, just a few feet apart. The Druk Wangyal Khang Zhang Chortens, totalling 108 in number built in 2004 in memory of Bhutanese soldiers who lost their lives but were successful in dislodging and killing Assamese insurgents who were attacking India from Bhutanese territory, presents a panoramic view of the Himalayan range and the meditation caves atop a small hillock but sadly on this day afforded a view of a cloudy sky and intermittent snowfall. The meditation caves for Buddhist monks were atop a snow covered small hillock, home to pine and cypress trees and a small trek through the snow-covered trails led to numerous such caves, adorned with the symbols of the dragon. Completing our brunch in the adjacent 60^th Café, we reset our compasses for Punakha.

Dochula Pass Memorial Chorten on a cloudy day

Meditation Caves trail in Dochula Pass

Snowfall in Dochula Pass

A further 42 km away lay our next destination- Chimi Lhakhang. Having crossed into Punakha district after nearly an hour, we could sense the more rustic nature of this district as compared to Thimphu. Traditional houses with motifs of the phallus, the dragon, the tiger, lion or the mythical Garuda on the white-washed walls lined the road and the valley below. Soon departing from the metalled road near Lobesa, we descended into an unmetalled trail through the village of Sopsokha towards the hallowed Chimi Lhakhang, built in 1499 by Ngawang Choegyel, the step-cousin of the Divine Mad Man who had built a stupa here. The monastery, highly regarded globally by many as the one to visit to seek blessings to beget children, is positioned atop a hill and requires a steep but short trek to reach it. A bodhi tree, born of the sapling of the original Bodhi tree in Gaya, greets visitors at the entrance of the Lhakhang. As we walked past the tree we came face to face with the original chorten built by Drukpa Kunley who had subdued a demoness there, and hearing the story moved on to the door that led us to within the central courtyard. A giant prayer wheel welcomed us inside the courtyard lined with study rooms for monks and a butter lamp lighting station at the centre. Opening our shoes, we stepped inside the monastery and were shown statues of Drukpa Kunley, his dog Sachi, Ngawang Namgyal, Buddha Sakyamuni , the God of Compassion, the God of Long Life, the local deity Chhoekim and Ngawang Choegyel, the builder of the Lhakhang. The walls of the monastery were adorned with thangkas and motifs depicting the colourful life of the Divine Mad Man who actively discouraged celibacy as a way of life and stressed on the importance of a healthy sexual life in attainment of nirvana. His methods were unprecedented and divergent from teachings of other lamas and the 10-inch wooden phallus brought by him from Tibet, is till date used in the monastery to bless women who seek blessings to have children. The monastery also maintains a book recording details of all couples who were blessed with children post their visit to Chimi Lhakhang. The view from the top of the hill is also astounding, offering a wide panorama of the Punakha Chhu running through the Punakha valley dotted with settlements across and the Punakha Dzong in the distance standing at the confluence of the Mo Chhu and the Pho Chhu. The overwhelming belief in the ability of the phallus to ward off evil spirits was very evident especially in Punakha as almost all houses either had the motif drawn on the walls, or the symbol hung on the doors.

Bodhi Tree at entrance of Chimmi Lhakhang

Traversing the narrow trail again, we found ourselves on the highway and racing towards the Punakha Dzong. The Dzong itself, offered nothing new, being the administrative and religious headquarters of the district but the wooden cantilever bridge over the Mo Chhu that connected the Punakha-Thimphu Highway to the Punakha Dzong offered a stunning vista of crystal clear waters gliding peacefully over a bed of rocks, a stunningly clean home for a large school of fish who were fed rice and biscuits by the monks and passers-by from atop the bridge. The river seemed to have disappeared amidst two mountains in the north and on the south, it was adorned by the Dzong on one bank and the city centre on the other, before meeting up with the Pho Chhu to form the Punakha Chhu and run down the valley, sustaining lives and replenishing them all throughout its length. Walking through the roofed cantilever bridge, we passed through the Dzong before hiking up a beautiful path lined on both sides by cypress and oak trees. As monks in the traditional red walked up and down the serene and silent path, the green of the abundant foliage and the grey of the concrete was well complemented by the bright reddish shade of the monks’ adornments and their lips, which was turned so by addiction to betel nut leaves with Doma areca nut. This was a commonality they shared with the locals as we realised later during our visit to the Kuruthang market area. The serene path led us to a dusty, narrow trail which was open on one side to the river gurgling away beneath us and the other crested by the rocky face of the mountain overlooking the Punakha valley. A short while later, we emerged at the entrance of a magnificent engineering marvel – the 520 feet long Punakha suspension bridge adorned with colourful prayer flags all along its length, swinging gently from side to side and all the while serving utility of connecting the Dzong to the villages of Shengana, Samdingkha and Wanghkha. Unlike the cantilever bridge, this bridge is supported only by cables anchored to cement blocks on the banks, which allows the wooden planked bridge the opportunity to gurgle your insides by swinging a little too much in strong winds. The colourful accumulation of flags fluttering away gloriously lends some amount of relaxation to the mind of the traveller suffering from a turgid stomach. Having been left astounded by the panoramic views afforded form the central drooping truss of the bridge, we made it back to the Dzong as the sun began to dip and then to Kuruthang market to gorge on momos in a local shop. The night was spent in the hotel a few miles away atop a hill, looking down magnanimously on the magnificently beautiful Punakha valley with the silver sparkling Punakha Chhu running through it, with a delicious platter of momos, paa, datsi, dumplings and a nutty gravy preparation of pork that left us licking our fingers. As accompaniments we had a fennel seeds based liquor, a local apple cider and aara to kick things off as per tradition.

Punakha Dzong and Punakha Cantilever Bridge across the Mo Chhu

Monks walking on serene access Road to Punakha Suspension Bridge from Punakha Dzong

Monk walking towards Punakha Dzong while chewing betel nut leaves and areca nut

Punakha Suspension Bridge across the Pho Chhu

The next day we woke up to peek outside form our cottage windows and a scene right out of a childhood painting brought back the nostalgia of all those lazy Sunday afternoons of lying around with a drawing book and a few pastel colours immediately. The tall pines and the overarching branches framed a scene of the broad, slithering serpentine, glistening Punakha Chhu dissecting the settlements of green and red shingled sloping roofs in the valley cordoned off by lush green mountains from all sides preceding silhouetted mountains in the distance , all in lightening shades of blue till the last mountain almost becomes miscible with the sky blue hue of the morning sky awaiting the sun to slowly creep upwards from behind the last range on the horizon to take centre-stage on a clear day. On the sloping ranges, as far as the eyes stretched, lied distinctive triangular green shapes, shaking feverishly in the wind blowing across the valley – even the vast expanse of pine forests unable to prevent the wind from blowing through them and jingling their branches and leaves as if in acknowledgement of the shivering cold the wind brought with it. To wake up to such a scene has such an impact on the mind as cannot be properly explained by mere words but it is safe to assume that there would be few other scenes as enchanting to wake up to as this in the world. As we left behind our point of vantage and become a part of this scene, making our way back through the same road that we travelled yesterday, there was a distinct difference to yesterday that made our hearts soar in anticipation. It was a clearer day will no clouds and that presented us with an opportunity to experience, along the way, an uninterrupted view of the snow-capped peaks of Masang Gang, Kulha Gangri and Gangkhar Puensum in the distance.

Punakha Valley as seen from the verandah of the cottages in Zangdoh Pelri Hotel

Clear waters of the Paro Chhu

The drive back through Dochula and Thimphu towards Paro, was rapidly completed before noon and having feasted on bathup and suja for breakfast before leaving Punakha, we were well-filled till evening. The landscape changed rapidly as we crossed Thimphu and started our journey towards Paro- the lush green or white snow was replaced by different shades of brown – from the sandy yellowish to the dark sienna as the we seemed to have been transported somehow magically to a Ladakh-like landscape so very different from what we had experienced over the last few days. The awe-inspiring nature of the landscape did not fade away as the high rocky faces reached up into the bright blue cloudless skies from the Paro Chhu. Along the only stretch of the highway from Thimphu to Paro where the river falls on the right-hand side of the highway, lies the very old Tachog Lakhang.  Built in 1420 by Thangton Gyalpo, this is one of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan. A dusty trail leads down from the highway towards an old and dilapidated iron suspension bridge adorned with colourful prayer flags strung all along the length of the truss and an adjacent newer looking suspension bridge made of the parts of the same bridge which too was adorned with colourful prayer flags fluttering away gayly in the strong winds blowing along the river and as per local tradition, disseminating the good luck from the flags across the area. Crossing the bridge to the other side, we went down to the rocks straddling the cool waters of the Paro Chhu and freshened up before embarking on the climb to the Lhakhang. The climb was steep and in places quite dangerous and the strong winds did nothing to help us. In fact, the winds were so strong at times that we stopped in our tracks and stood still lest the wind push us back once we tried to move ahead. Finally, though we succeeded in reaching the Lhakhang which had wuite a few apple and orange trees in the inner courtyard. With rooms for the monks on the lower storey, the unwalled upper storey housed only the temple. With the permission of the monk, we stepped inside to be welcomed by huge thangkas telling the story of Guru Padmasambhava and Ngawang Namgyal. The statues of all 3 adorned the monastery. The small monastery had a special charm in a dusty yellow landscape overlooking the clear waters of the Paro Chhu.  

Iron suspension bridge built by Thangton Gyalpo across the Paro Chhu near the Tachog Lhakhang

Atop the hill housing the Tachog Lhakhang

Orange tree at Tachog Lhakhang

Stalactite and stalagmite formations at subzero temperatures in Paro

As we resumed our journey towards Paro, a strange feeling of contentment filled our minds for having been able to see one of Bhutan’s oldest cultural heritages. The landscape continued to be the same till Paro as we followed the river right into the heart of the Paro valley. Having reached the picturesque Paro valley by midday we checked-in to our homestay a little away from the main town and returned to the Rinpung Dzong on the east banks of the Paro Chhu. Again, with no interest to explore the interiors of a similar fortress-cum-monastery we decided to follow a trail of rock-cut stairs that led from the Dzong right down to the Nyamai Zam Cantilever Footbridge across the Paro Chhu and then walk along Lower Olathang right into the heart of the market area of Paro city. It turned out to be a great decision as the tall white stone walls and stairs of the Dzong, which appeared in quite a few scenes in 1993 Keanu Reeves starrer Little Buddha, were a perfect foil to the amber falling leaves and dry and naked branches of the cypress and oak trees that lined both banks of the river revealing the city behind through a porous curtain of branches and twigs. The city lied nestled in the valley of mountains strutting behind linking the fast darkening sky to the houses getting lighted up, readied to face the night. Strong, cold winds ensured we kept our jackets buttoned and gloves on as we walked down chatting and laughing and through the front garden and onto the bridge. By the time we reached the city, darkness and a harsh cold had draped the city completely and we relived our Thimphu experience once again albeit this time slightly punctuated by many more tourists and multiple Indian eateries. The traffic discipline was as in Thimphu and we wasted no time in popping in and out of a few curio and handicrafts shops, picking up things from here and there before stopping for a dinner of maru, datsi and a chilly-based preparation of chicken. Post-dinner we returned to our homestay and called it a night.

Rinpung Dzong on the banks of the Paro Chhu

Paro Valley as seen from the Rinpung Dzong

One of the things that we had eagerly awaited since planning this trip had been the trek up to the Tiger Nest Monastery. We set out early the next morning and drove up for about an hour before stopping at a roadside shop for noodles and suja. A further 10 minutes’ drive later we were at the base of the trek. Built in 1692 by Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye to immortalise the meditation cave of Guru Padmasambhava, the man credited with introducing Vajarayana school of Buddhism to Bhutan, the Taktsang Temple , meaning ‘Temple of the Tiger Lair’ , known commonly as the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in English and the Guru Mtshan Brygyad Lhakhang (Temple of the Guru with 8 Names, in reference to the eight forms of Guru Padmasambhava during his lifetime) in Dzongkha, is not only an architectural and engineering marvel positioned as precariously as it is on a cliff at a height of over 10,000 feet overlooking the Paro valley but also a spiritually uplifting place. The mystical marvel can be spotted as tiny white speck on a vertical cliff from the base point and as one traverses the dusty trail through the forest of blue pines, redwoods, pines, oaks, cypress and hemlock trees apart from the variety of ground flora and creepers and shrubs, for nearly an hour, a clearing decorated with the colourful prayer flags presents an opportunity to get a clearer view of the white complex. A further half hour climb through rocky terrain leads to a cafeteria which is about halfway to the monastery itself. Post this begins a trail, not as dusty and dry but one that is more green and muddy. About half an hour through this trail along the very edge of the cliff leads us to face an astonishingly beautiful vista of the red and gold roofed white monastery positioned precariously on a blackish brown cliff, looking over miles and miles of mountains filled with pine forests till in the distance as if a galaxy away the forests give way to snow-capped peaks of the Lower Himalayas, against the bright blue afternoon sky. As we stood here admiring the sight that was in front of us and the difficult trek that we had just completed, ahead of us lay around 700 man-made stairs that would lead us from one mountain to the next through a frozen waterfall. As we descended around 500 stairs we witnessed falling water freezing after falling halfway down the rocky face and flying chunks of ice being brought down by gravity. Traversing this uniquely dangerous 10 feet stretch, we had to ascend another 200 stairs to finally reach the gates of the monastery. The trek took about 3 hours to complete but what waited for us inside ensured that it was all worth it. Inside the monastery lies 9 temples, which houses huge gilded bronze deities of not only Guru Padmasambhava and all his 8 forms but also yab-yum statues of Guru Padmasambhava, his two wives – one Indian and one Tibetan, other deities worshipped in Vajarayana form of Buddhism including the God of Compassion, the God of Wealth and the God of Long Life, Langchen Pelkyi Singye, a disciple of Guru Padmasambhava, Tenzin Rabgye, the builder of the temple and Dorje Legpa, the local deity. The spiritually enlightening and highly interesting guided tour of all but one of the temples ended with lighting butter lamps and ruminating on the impact of the Bengali tantric Shakti DasMahaVidya movement on the Mahayana school of Buddhism which ultimately culminated in the Vajarayana school of Buddhism with effectively marries the tantric rituals and deities into the Buddhist school of thought. As we sat outside the monastery and energised ourselves for the descent by consuming chocolates and biscuits, we were transported through the surreal experience of the preserved heritage of so many centuries to a time much before us and contemplated on how despite the many situations that could have diverted history towards non-existence, we stood witness to the success of a few people that had changed the lives of many. The innumerable links and connections between the cultures that we considered so different, between religions so far apart in their outlooks and beliefs and between people who though geographically adjacent are culturally divergent astounded us and drove us to the realisation that all of us exist because we are connected to each other in some way or the other and in the bigger scheme of things perhaps humanity is the biggest culture, religion and heritage that we inherit and leave behind. With thoughts bordering on philosophical, we began the descent and all the while wondered astounded of how difficult the ascent seemed while descending.

Pine forest through which one must trek to Tiger Nest Monastery

Frozen waterfall encountered during trek upto Tiger Nest Monastery

View of Tiger Nest Monastery from clearing near cafeteria

Tiger Nest Monastery

The next day we undertook a perilous drive through ice-covered roads and snow-covered foliage towards Chele-La Pass. Located at a height of about 13,000 ft, around 35 km from Paro, the Chele La Pass connects Paro and Bondey to the valley of Haa, which is a further 26 km from it. The setting for the first feature film shot entirely in Bhutan, ‘Travellers and Magicians’, the Pass is accessed by narrow winding roads with sharp turns and thick green cover of foliage that is at this time of the year completely white-washed by frequent snowfall. The drive was not without incident as expected as it skidded on ice thrice during the turns and was stuck for lack of friction on the icy road once. An ingenuous solution involved improving the friction between the tires and the road by placing some broken branches and leafy twigs beneath the tires, post which accelerating the car ensured it could move ahead. Despite the intermediate difficulties, we managed to reach the Pass by midday and the snow-covered roads and tops provided ample scope to not only have a snowball-fight in jest but also to experience the pure joy of standing in knee-deep snow. Walking on the soft snow and leaving behind footprints in the freshly deposited snow amidst the ceaseless fluttering of the white flags hoisted in memory of the deceased, while chilly winds raged at speeds greater than 30mps will remain an unforgettable experience to recount at many addas over chai and coffee in times to come. In the far distance framed against the ominous grey cumulonimbus laden darkening sky lay the snow-capped peaks of Jomolhari of the Dongkya range and Jitchu Drayke of the Himalayan range. After a bone-chilling and feet freezing time spent playing about in the snow and lying back on the snow, clutching the stomach to stop it from paining from laughing so hard and ultimately sighing loudly and lying down staring up at the dark blue sky with greyish tinges contrasted by the pure white of the snow caps in the distance, we finally made our way back to the car and drove down 25kms to the rustic, largely empty and tremendously windy Haa Valley. A trekking trail also existed but for lack of time, we decided not to explore it. The last part of the evening was spent exploring the remaining curio shops and handicrafts market in Paro before we completed our dinner and with a sigh of knowing that all good things come to an end, switched off the lights for the night.

Prayer flags fluttering away on a windy day enroute Chele La Pass

Chele La Pass - Mt. Jomolhari visible in the distance under cloud cover

Fun with snow at Chele La Pass

Weather Station in Chele La Pass

Haa Valley 

A drive back to Hasimara the next morning took almost 6 hours. We snacked on the way at a roadside eatery near Chapcha and followed the Wang Chhu back towards Phuentsholing. As soon as we crossed the Bhutan Gate back into India, the cacophony of noises pervaded the peaceful halo that seemed to have engulfed us and we were once again transported to reality as the blaring of horns, which seemed to have been magically removed from our lives for a week, snatched away the remnants of the peace that the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon had created. Back in India, we lunched in Jaigaon before reaching Hasimara by 3:30pm, in time to catch the 13150 KanchanKanya Express which would arrive in Hasimara at 4:30pm. The return journey was spent largely reminiscing and ruminating about the beauty and cleanliness of the land from the lap of the Himalayas. The experiences we had will hopefully last a lifetime. If not, we can always go back once again.

Mountain dog fast asleep on the Punakha Wooden Cantilever Bridge