Bhutan 360 - Travel Guide to Bhutan

Punakha

April 12, 2009

Punakha is one of the lowest lying valleys in the Kingdom at an elevation of 1,350m. With its temperate climate, this valley is the market garden of the country. Produce grows year round and many Bhutanese reside here during the colder winter months. Punakha has an interesting history. It was in Punakha, the first hereditary Monarch, King Ugyen Wangchuck was enthroned on 17 December 1907. Punakha served as the winter capital till 1955 and Punakha Dzong continues to be the winter residence of the Central Monk Body.

Khamsum Yulley Namgyal

April 11, 2009

Khamsum Yulley Namgyal stands majestically on a strategic ridge above the Punakha valley. Built over a period of 9 years, Bhutanese craftsmen including carpenters, painters, and sculptors consulted holy scriptures rather than engineering manuals, to construct this 4-storey temple.

Chimi Lhakhang

April 10, 2009

Chimi Lhakhang is a very popular and revered temple that lies on the periphery of the fertile valley of Lobesa, where the borders of Thimphu, Punakha and wangduephodrang districts meet. Being dedicated to Lama Drukpa Kuenley, the Divine Madman, the temple is popularly considered to be a temple of fertility.

Punakha Dzong

April 9, 2009

Popularly known as the Punakha Dzong, Punthang Dechen Phodrang (The Palace of Great Bliss) was built in 1637 by the Zhabdrung. The gigantic Dzong was damaged 6 times by fire, once by flood and once by an earthquake.

Global Clown Biker in Bhutan

April 9, 2009

After covering more than 59,275 km on his bicycle around the world, Alvaro Neil is all smiles and looks strong. Yesterday, the 41-year-old Spaniard adventurer was in Thimphu on the road toward fulfilling a dream he calls “Miles of Smiles Around the World.”