BHUTAN – THE LAND OF SERENITY (Part - 7)

 

TIGER’S NEST

We were driving to Paro and from there we shall start the trek to Tiger’s Nest the next morning. It is better to carry tablets for motion sickness because the place is 10,240 ft. above MSL. The road is quite zig-zag. It’s a 2 – 2.5 hours trek (one side) from the base, covering 4.5 km approximately.  After the initial trek through rocks, which can be done either by foot or on horseback, the rest of the path is wee-bit easier. Better to carry some dried nuts and drinking water with you. There is not even a snack-seller anywhere on the way and no provision for drinking water. Of course, a good restaurant, named “Tiger’s Nest” was in existence approximately at mid-way where you get authentic Bhutanese delicacies. The flip side is its ambience. You get annoyed by the commotion and noise-level. The ‘Taktsang Restaurant’ closes at 2.00 pm.

Before reaching to Paro, we had a stopover at the Bihari settlement named “Rinchengang”. Sighting a Bihari ‘bhayya’ (brother) in an alien land would be quite exhilarating. They have less than 100 multi-storied houses clustered neatly on a hillock in traditional Bhutanese architecture. It takes around twenty minutes walking uphill to reach the place from the highway. The village is self-contained in all respects. ‘Bhaisaabs’ speak the local language and dress like them, taking you wonderstruck. That is, the externals of the “bhayyajis” are surprisingly similar to that of other Bhutanese. However, Rinchengang is a Bihari stand-alone subculture by itself. The village is one of the oldest! So much so that one can identify Biharis of Bhutani origin only by their face. When it comes to finding a bride, however, all those eligible babus make a bee-line to Bihar!  I guess, there is a reason for doing this. Marriages in Bhutan take place without much intervention from the parents especially during the courtship between the boy and the girl. Even the news of a girl conceiving without the knowledge of the parents is accepted as a way of life elsewhere in Bhutan.

The Dzong that the Biharis built (1644-48)

The first batch of Biharis landed in Bhutan in 1644 to do the stonework masonry for a fort. The “Bearded Lama”, (Ngawang Nangyal) who was regarded as the unifier of modern Bhutan decided to build yet another fort (Dzong) named “Wangdue Phodrang” by ‘Punatsangchu’ River. The Dzong took four years (1644-48) to complete. Even today, it is an exquisite sight to watch it in Nature’s lap with river and mountains

As expected, the workmen fetched all the way from Bihar, India never went back.

We reached at the base of Tiger’s Nest early in the morning but the whole place was abuzz with activity. There was an office of Bhutan tourism where you must procure the entry tickets. The working hours were from 8 am to 1.00 pm.

The ‘prayer wheel’ welcomed you with all those mantras revolving non-stop. Water running down on gravity was channelized and impinged on the wooden wheel which had the mantras inscribed on metal plates. This was a common sight throughout Bhutan. More or less like an electricity generating turbine! In case the water was unavailable, one could give it a push by hand so that it rotates. The second ubiquitous sight is the prayer flags. They are of deep colours, used to ward off evil-spirits. There is a shopping area also at the entrance exhibiting curios and Bhutanese handicraft items at throw-away prices.

The shopkeepers were mostly elderly women with a crestfallen look. I asked one of them the reason for their despair and she replied,

“All looking and going! No buying”

I promised to buy from her on my return.

Her face says it all.

The next step was to procure the trekking gear which consisted of just one item! A robust stick five plus feet long. It was available on hire Rs.50/- for the 

to-and-fro trek. (Indian rupee of small denominations was acceptable upto Rs.200). My wife and I opted to make use of two horses as the hilly terrain was muddy.  We were taken to a rock from where we could mount on the horses without much difficulty. My son Nandu and our guide Karma decided to walk in front. However, the guys walked fast and disappeared from our radar in no time. Luckily, each horse had an attendant who was cursing the animal every time when it gasped for breath. He had a whip too, in hand, which he used almost mercilessly whenever the horse stopped for a while. The only solace for the poor animals were the cement-tanks filled with water constructed intermittently on the trekking path. A few minutes’ resting time was allowed.

Horses, however, were not available for the return journey back to the base.

I had three Tibetan mantras with me which I started listening with ear-phones. “Om Mani Padme Hum” was the first, followed by “Dai Bi Than Chu tra ta ma” and “Cau gi duoc do”.  The mantras were quite a relief! However, I was not quite enjoying the ride as it was more or less bumpy and the sickening smell of the sludge added to my woes! The only relief was provided by the universal Tibetan prayer, though I couldn’t understand a word of it.

 I even forgot about my wife who was following me closely. Later on, she complained that I didn’t even look back to see whether she was alive and intact! She was right and anyone else would have complained.  It just happened like that, for an inexplicable reason. Perhaps, my mind was blank!

Certain situations in life are beyond elaboration. Something very abstract!

Soon after reaching the mid-way, we climbed down from our respective horses. The restaurant was nearby. Energising us in no time, the Tiger’s Nest Monastery suddenly turned visible at an altitude.

Halfway point - horses stop here

 A laborious effort getting there, by any standards and in the meantime, we would refresh a bit. We relaxed at the arboretum of ‘Taktsang Restaurant’. Interestingly enough, the original name of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery was also Taktsang! 

We were at peace in the hexagonal, pyramid shaped greenhouse built outside. However, we didn’t feel like sitting there on the concrete benches for long. Plants and creepers were grown at a distance! After going through the elegant menu with exotic snacks, we ordered for just tea and biscuits. Molly didn’t want to trek further as she was very tired. She opted out. It’s a common sight that trekkers called it quits at this point if they were not at the pink of health.  I too had to make the quick decision whether to make or break but eventually thought of completing the task. Nandu accompanied me for the rest of the trek. Meanwhile Karma made friendship with some young ladies and guided them through the main route. The agreement was to reunite near to the waterfall. 

 

                                                          (Last part to follow)

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BHUTAN, THE LAND OF SERENITY – 6

Just at a stone’s throw from Punakha Dzong, 15 to 20 minutes’ walk to be more precise, we have the longest suspension bridge of Bhutan spanning 170 m. Originally built by Thangthong Gelopo in the 15^th century, it was reinforced in the 17^th century soon after the Dzong was built. The idea was to provide quick access for the villagers of Punakha valley to the Fort as it was the administrative HQ of Bhutan. The bridge sways and by the time you reach the middle, you get a feeling of being in a cradle! It’s a nice feeling, the Phochhu River flowing underneath, strong winds rocking the cradle and the greenery around! Time for nostalgia. A subtle feeling of loss, that is! However, the other side is bit of a disappointment. A few jobless youths idling away by the huge prayer wheel at the landing. And the family that runs a bar desperately waiting for customers…

The longest suspension bridge of Bhutan

After lunch, it was time to visit the Fertility Temple or Chimi Lakhang. In fact we had heard quite a lot about the ‘Divine Madman’ Drukpa  Kunley (1455 – 1529). The Lakhang (temple) was built in 1499 in honour of the maverick saint. Lama Kunley was quite unorthodox in teaching Buddhism employing humour and ‘outrageous behaviour’ as tools! The paintings and statues of the Crazy Saint are in plenty and he looks an angry young man in spite of possessing “magic thunderbolt of wisdom”! He advocated the use of phallic symbols in paintings and carvings to drive away the ‘evil eye’. In order to reach his abode, one must take a difficult ride through the muddy road surrounded by paddy fields. After reaching the monastery one has to undertake a short trek to reach the Lakhang. All houses in the village have phallus paintings on their exterior walls. The twenty minutes trek path is lined with makeshift merchandise spread on the ground on both sides selling wooden replica of erect penises and paraphernalia with the same as the main icon!

The puja offerings are in strange shapes!

The original phallus that Kunley brought from Tibet is kept at the Lakhang. The main priest blesses you with the wooden, ten inch phallus decorated with a handle made of bone. He touches your head with it. Women seeking divine intervention to beget children patiently wait for their turn. Some of them carry wooden phalluses around the perimeter of the Lakhang in order to boost their chances of conception!

We sat under the majestic Bodhi tree in front of the temple with a raised platform around it and watched the proceedings in silence. Many of the visitors were seated on the ground enjoying the cool breeze from the fields. It was time to leave and I couldn’t help asking Karma about the pathetic condition of the road. It was a well-frequented thoroughfare and the only access to the lakhang. Karma was forthright in his answer. He squarely put the blame on politicians. The people are being punished for favouring the opposition party! Actually it should not have happened as Bhutan has an almost fool-proof system of the election process.

Primary elections are held in which voters cast for parties. The top two parties are then able to field candidates in the main round across the country’s twenty districts. They must field candidates for every constituency throughout the country. The party that commands the majority in the 47 seat parliament named National Assembly will put forward its leader as PM nominee. Three elections are over in Bhutan making a change each time at the top. The joke is that the manifestoes of the three parties are strikingly similar and the voter is unable to decide! The main players are, Bhutan Peace & Prosperity Party (DPT), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Druk Namrup Tshogpa (DNT).

The next morning, on the fourth day, we drove towards Phobjikha, at a distance of two-and-a-half hours from Punakha. If you consider progress in terms of well-laid roads, high-rise buildings and state-of-the-art machine floors, Phobjikha is a primitive place. Only peasants live there cultivating potato, wheat, millets etc. and rearing cattle. Worries like the lack of connectivity and absence of infrastructure didn’t seem to have troubled them. However, the government on its part have introduced skill enhancement schemes such as lodge management, tourist guide training etc. for additional income generation. Phobjikha valley is officially declared as conservation area. The Black-necked Cranes visit the valley twice a year flying all the way from Tibet! The valley has a special event, the Crane Festival, to celebrate the event during November.

The cattle and their owners of Phobjikha valley have no complaints!

The Government has instituted a Crane Information Centre atop a small hill which not only disseminates info but takes care of injured cranes too. We have had a good look at one such Karma, a juvenile black-necked crane found injured in the valley on 6^th Jan.2016. Karma the bird was not very happy with the new bunch of onlookers intruding its privacy and we were surely getting on its nerves! Immediately we made a quick retreat to watch a home-made documentary at the mini-auditorium. The opening scene was that of the migrating cranes circumambulating the monastery Gangtey at the Phobjikha valley. They were bidding farewell to Bhutan for the season. During winter the cranes land up from Tibet encircling the Monastery three times on arrival too! The documentary says the villagers consider the black-necked cranes as harbingers of luck and the birds turn up every year with clock-work precision! Later on, when we visited the Gangtey Monastery we checked this fact with the monks and found it to be true. They also said the annual Crane Festival was being conducted at the Monastery on 11^th November every year.

Known by the name of the village, Gangtey Monastery is the oldest monastery in Bhutan (established in 1613). The woodwork is 450 years old and is prone to beetle-larvae infestation. The landscape is marshy with high content of moisture in the air. No wonder the grand monastery is perpetually under repair. The most recent renovation was carried out continuously from 2001 to 2008.  When we reached the place, fresh bout of maintenance was going on and the workers had stopped the work for a short while to attend the prayers. We entered the main hall and didn’t feel like sitting there for long. The place was quite stuffy with practically no ventilation and the noise level was too high. The monks, mostly the younger ones were beating their strange looking drums mercilessly.

The most popular painting of Bhutan - "Four Friends"

A mural named “The Four Friends” seemed to be the only consolation. In fact, the painting is quite ubiquitous in Bhutan.  Monasteries, lakhangs and even commercial establishments have a copy of “Four Friends” painted on the wall. It’s about an elephant, a monkey, a rabbit and a bird pondering over a fruit dangling from a nearby tree. The lumbering elephant wouldn’t get the fruit without monkey’s help despite its great bulk. If the bird didn’t eat the fruit and excreted seeds into ground, the tree wouldn’t exist. And the tree would bear no fruit if the rabbit didn’t protect the root underground!

In short, the mural is about the interdependence of things in nature. The accent is on living in harmony with it.

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BHUTAN, THE LAND OF SERENITY – 5

Early morning I went out for a walk in the heart of Thimphu. The streets were rather deserted. I felt like a fish in water! How lucky that I didn't have to steer clear of joggers and other health-freaks! While  in Trivandrum, morning walk was a daily routine but more often than not, I would drop the idea just because some brisk-walker would invariably bump into me at the Museum grounds. In Bhutan, things were different. The air was so crystalline, low altitude clouds floating between hills, well-kept foot-paths with an array of flowering plants by their sides…

Joyously walking ahead, I could see the worker settlements, all temporary structures situated right opposite to the high-profile Information& Broadcasting Ministry offices. Nobody considered them as an eye-sore. Half a dozen families were happily living there amidst the imposing buildings around. In fact, rules permitted only ground plus five floors in Bhutan and no building was imposing for sure!

While returning, I could see the refreshing sight of a tree being spared at the middle of a road! They didn’t cut the tree to make way for the thoroughfare, preserved it instead, though the forest cover in Bhutan was 71%.

We made a visit to the Royal Textile Academy before moving on to Dochula Pass. The Academy was started in 2001 at the initiative of the third Queen through a $165,000 Danish funding (DANIDA). Denmark has been a liberal donor to Bhutan and their total aid to this Himalayan country for the past 25 years equals $ 0.255 billion. However, that doesn’t hold a candle before the Indian contribution which has been the largest among foreign aid. The budget allocation for Bhutan is Rs.2802 crore last year (2019). Interestingly, traditional recipients like Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh have been superseded by new entrants like Afghanistan, Maldives and East African countries for the past nine years or so.

We visited the hand-weaving section of the RTA and found the all-women workforce fully immersed in their work. They didn’t have either the time or the inclination to look up and smile. Some of them had brought their children along who hid behind their mothers when we tried to be friendly!

There are some textile items, casuals mostly, for sale at the RTA but my advice to you is to wait! The handicrafts bazar is just across the street where you get everything, authentic and moderately priced, at a bargain.

Nandu, my son shows-off the desi dress while his mother Moly beams with pride!

 We bid adieu to Thimphu and the new destination Punakha was 70 km away. In between, arguably the most scenic spot of Bhutan – Dochula Pass – lay at an altitude of 3160 m. The weather is usually foggy and chilly; clothing in light woollen stuff is strongly recommended. During the tourist season September to November, one could do away with thermal wear anywhere in Bhutan. We were there in the beginning of September and the rains were sporadically making its presence felt! Luckily it didn’t act as a spoiler. In my opinion, October would be ideal to visit Bhutan as the weather is extremely clear. You could get a 360 degree panoramic view of the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayan range from Dochula Pass during the period October to February. The highest mountain - Gangkar Puensum with an altitude 7158 m. is most revered.

Dochula Pass is the place where the Bhutanese celebrate their New Year, Losar with all gusto every February. The remnants of the event were still there to be seen, the flags et al.

In fact Dochula Pass is a war memorial, in honour of the sixteen Bhutanese soldiers who were killed in the 2003 battle, Operation All Clear. The action spanning 19 days was led by none other than the (fourth) King – Jigme Singye Wangchuk –  against Assamese insurgents from India. The rebels were operating from Bhutan in order to raid the Indian territories in Assam. The King and his men dislodged the rebels from their thirty odd hideouts. As a befitting salute, the first Queen built the memorial next year to mark the victory of her husband.

Reach out and touch the clouds!

The memorial consists of 108 chortens (stupas) in three layers. They are arranged in multiples of nine, i.e., 9 x 3 = 27 for the top layer, 9 x 4 = 36 for the middle and 9 x 5 = 45 for the bottom. As you are aware, these numbers are auspicious under oriental numerology. Karma, our guide came up with a totally different point of view. According to him, 108 stands for the unification of Jeevatma (individual self) with Paramatma (the Ancient One). The number ‘1’ stands for self, “0” is for Love and ‘8’ represents Infinity.

108 Chortens at the Dochula Pass

One more explanation is possible, which is much easier to grasp.

God is Love!

Karma is right in both ways! Our knowledge about things is hopelessly inadequate!

After spending some time walking clockwise around the chortens, we quietly made a retreat. There was a nice restaurant at the Pass where you could refresh yourself before proceeding to Punakha Dzong.

Like Lakhangs (temples), Dzongs (Forts) are ubiquitous in Bhutan. Major Dzongs have their own Lakhangs inside where invaluable treasures are kept in custom-made chests. The mantras and prayer-wheels act as firewalls!

Punakha Dzong is the second oldest and second largest fort in Bhutan. Located between the Pho Chhu (male) and Mo Chhu (female) rivers in the Punakha Valley and lined with Jacaranda trees around, the Dzong is an unbelievably beautiful sight.

Punakha Dzong

Construction of the fort started in 1637 and it took only one year to complete the work. Even the Design itself was Dream Aided, one must say, as the architect Zowe Palep had a vision in his dream enabling him to conceive the plan without the help of the drawing-board!

The measurements of the Dzong are 180 m x 72 m x 18 m with three court-yards in a row.

The steep wooden entry stairs are designed to be pulled up and the heavy wooden door at the entrance is still closed at night. A covered wooden cantilever bridge crossing the Mo Chhu River was built in seventeenth century but was washed away in subsequent floods. (A new bridge in the same traditional style was built in 2008).

The first courtyard is the administrative block with a massive whitewashed stupa near an equally massive Bodhi tree and complete with a Naga temple. Punakha Dzong was the administrative HQ of Government of Bhutan until 1955. The Naga temple at the first courtyard houses the original holy book of the Drukpa School of Thought. The deity Nag Yul Bum is believed to be perpetually guarding the   golden text! The second courtyard was earmarked as the residential quarters for monks. The third one at the southernmost side was most important as the hall on its right contained the sacred remains of Pema Lingpa and Ngawang Namgyal.

 Pema (Padma) Lingpa (1450 – 1521) is second only to Padmasambhava in the hierarchy of Gurus. Namgyal (1594 – 1651) popularly known as the Bearded Lama is not exactly a Guru, but the unifier of Bhutan who came from Tibet. The caskets containing the sacred remains of the two are not opened at all and nobody is allowed inside the hall. When a new King assumes charge, he goes inside and takes the blessings of the two holy men before coronation.

The southernmost part of the Dzong is the temple where massive gold statues of the Buddha, Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) and other Zhabdrungs (great gurus) greet you with their benign smiles.  The national treasures are kept somewhere near and the visitors are forbidden to enter beyond the location of the statues.

There are around 200 murals in the entire Punakha Dzong and they look brighter after the restoration work done in 2008. The life of Buddha is depicted inside the temple but the accent is on miracles. In fact, Gautama Buddha led a life of infinite compassion leaving no space for executing miracles. He underplayed his siddhis (supranormal powers associated with planes of Consciousness) and always advised his followers to concentrate more on his teachings. The miracle that he performed at Shravasti couldn’t be generalised as it was done on a challenge. Oddly enough, the people we met in Bhutan seem to be believing mainly in externals! They are harbouring deep faith in religious rites and reincarnations. Interestingly, Buddhism was originated as a deviation against implanted rigidities of Hinduism during Siddhartha Gautama’s times. In my humble opinion, the essence of Buddha’s teachings is the practice of Selflessness and the cultivation of Love. In other words, the focus is on spirituality and not on religion.

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