Day 12, Punakha

May 4, 2009

In an attempt to straighten the mess my agency created, I hired a local Bhutanese car and drove to Punakha even though I didn’t have the permit. Luckily we weren’t stopped anywhere.

Our drive was spectacular. We traversed several hills and travelled through dense forests echoing with the sound of crickets. I was surprised to see that there was a considerable change in vegetation in the surrounding jungles as we moved farther away from Thimphu. The hills grew flatter and were located farther apart, thereby leaving large flat areas in the valleys where people cultivate rice and make homes.

On my way to Punakha, I learnt a lot about Bhutan from my guide. ‘Bhotan’ means the land of mountains. And true to its name, this country is full of mountains covered with think jungles. Flat areas are rare and are utilized for cultivation and dwelling. When you drive in Bhutan, there are many spots along the road where you get a clear view of the valleys below. But when you look up, only mountains are visible for as far as you can see. For a while you think that you can see the sky behind the mountain range in front of you. Yet, when you observe closely, you discover that it is just another set of mountains behind the ones right in front of you.

Bhutanese have what I consider to be excellent road manners. I don’t know if they are required to be so mild on the road because of the danger associated with their roads or if it is inculcated in their nature to be gentle on the road. You rarely see anyone being rash on Bhutan’s roads. If you do see one, you can be sure that they are from India. They drive steadily and let faster vehicles pass even without being asked.

We reached Punakha at around 11 in the morning. The major attraction in Punakha is the Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong. The Dzong is located at a point where two rivers merge into one. It was built in the first half of the 17th century by Zhabdrung. He is considered to be father of united Bhutan and coincidentally, today happens to be his death anniversary. There were many locals visiting the Dzong today with their families. The place was specially decorated with a huge Thanka (typical Buddhist paiting), by looking at which, it is believed by the locals that all your sins are washed away.

The weather in Bhutan can at best be described as being capricious. For the second consecutive day, it rained at noon. When the sun shines, it is bright and warm. But when it rains, it is cold and damp, reminding me of my days in Rotterdam. It is also very windy in the valleys where there are no trees or hills to obstruct the flow of the wind.

On the way back from the Dzong, we visited the monastery of the Divine Mad Man. He is called so because of the way in which he preached about the ‘naked’ truths of life. It is believed by the Bhutanese that when visiting a place of religious importance, one should exercise in some form to reach the place. That is why many monasteries are built at a high altitude, thereby forcing people to climb stairs and perspire in the process. Hence, the Divine Mad Man’s monastery is located far away from the highway. There is no motorable road leading to the monastery and thus, we had to walk for about half an hour in the blazing sun to reach it. The wind was so strong and was howling so loudly that I could barely hear what my guide was telling me. But once there, the monastery offered a fantastic view of the valley and the hills around it.

Bhutanese have some rather strange practices. For one, they paint giant penises on the outer walls of their houses to ward off evil spirits. Their offerings to the gods in the monasteries often include junk food. In all the monasteries I visited today, I found rows of Parle-Gs, Lays, and other sorts of biscuits along with regular fruit and other mundane stuff.