We rose early, breakfasted and packed for a day of hiking. Our plan was to hike through the rice fields and uphill to Khamsum Yueley Namgyel Lhakhang, hike down along the river, stop for a picnic lunch and then hike to Punakha Dzong. Punakha is in a valley at an altitude of 4000 ft. vs the 7700 ft of Thimphu so we expected the hiking to be easier. The day was overcast with temperatures in 50s; we would definitely need our rain gear. Farmers had already planted their crops in the lower altitude and the Punakha valley was lush and green.
We started our hike by crossing a small suspension bridge over the Mo Chu river, prayer flags fluttering from its cables. This would just be one of many suspension bridges we would cross today.
We hiked between rice fields and then started climbing a gently inclined, rocky trail. There was a small structure housing a prayer wheel at the top of the first incline.
An old man was tending the wheel, stringing prayer beads as he sat. We each spun the wheel as we went by asking for blessings and a safe hike!
As we continued upward, the view became more and more beautiful. The green terracing of the rice paddies in the valley against the backdrop of the larger mountains and river was truly breathtaking.
After about an hour of walking, we caught glimpse of the temple above us. We entered the grounds through a beautifully decorated gate; at the top of a short flight of steps was a terrace with purple flowers, multiple stupas, a large prayer wheel and the the three storied temple.
Khamsum Yueley Namgyel Temple was built by the current Queen Mother when she was queen in 2004 with a very specific purpose in mind – to ward off evil spirits and to bring peace and harmony to all living things. Tandin told us that her son, the current king, was born on an unlucky day and this temple was intended to appease the gods. The statuary inside the lhakhang depicts various deities furiously destroying demons and hostile forces.
We climbed to the third floor for a beautiful view of the river and surrounding valley. Despite the mist and overcast, we could still see for miles. We also got a bird’s eye view of the grounds, the stupa, prayer flags and monk’s residence behind the temple.
It began to rain as we left the temple; the hike back was wet, but thankfully, we had rain gear.
Our picnic lunch was also a bit soggy, but thanks to the foresight of our guides, we had a canopy to shield us from the rain as we ate.
Fortunately, later that afternoon, the rain stopped and the weather began to clear. We continued our hike along the river – the rain had flooded the rice paddies and as the sky lightened, we could see the reflections of the mountains and trees in the water.
We saw the Punakha Dzong as we rounded a bend in the river. A dzong is a fortress that has both an administrative and religious purpose. Dzongs were built throughout Bhutan, mostly during the 1600’s when Bhutan was under attack by Tibet. The Punakha Dzong is one of the most beautiful in the country, sitting at the intersection of the Pho Chu and Mo Chu rivers. It can be reached by a covered bridge from the Mo Chu side and a suspension bridge from the Pho Chu side.
We approached from the Pho Chu side and crossed the suspension bridge. This bridge, covered in prayer flags, is the longest suspension bridge in the country. The walk across was somewhat disorienting – as more people entered the bridge, it bounced and swayed, at times making it challenging to maintain balance.
The dzong is huge and includes 21 temples, courtyards and halls. We entered though an ornate facade via a steep set of stairs. The foyer was beautifully painted with frescoes of the four deities who guard the dzong from each of the four cardinal directions. The guardian of the east is identified by his lute.
The dzong was built with multiple courtyards so that in the event one was breached, people could securely move to the interior of the fort. Today the courtyards serve as open spaces for tour guides to educate visitors on the dzong’s history.
We made our way to the grand Kuenrey, or congregation hall with its gilded pillars and embossed religious art. Inside, a 35 ft Buddha sits flanked by 28 ft images of Guru Rinpoche, the master believed to have brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the ruler who unified the country and protected it from external invasion in 1600’s. Next to the right of the hall is Machen Lhakhang, the temple that contains the sacred relics of the Zhabdrung.
This time we crossed the river using the covered bridge and got another beautiful view of Dzong Punakha.
We drove back to our hotel to clean up, then had a nice dinner at a nearby hotel restaurant. Tuesdays in Bhutan are ‘dry’ meaning no alcohol can be served; hotels post notices about this for tourists but there are ways to circumvent this – suffice it to say, that we enjoyed beer and wine and an aperitif of ara with our meal. Tomorrow is another travel day – we have an almost five hour drive to Paro but will break this up with short stops and hikes.