A TRIP TO THE LAND OF HAPPINESS | BHUTAN

BHUTAN, a quaint little country nestled in the Himalayas, surrounded by India, Nepal, and China, is every travellers’ favourite destination.  From a rich culture to  a clean, green environment and the disciplined, generous people- everything about Bhutan is extremely fascinating! Here’s a brief glance at its history-

The country came to be known as Druk Yul or The Land of the Drukpas, referring to the Drukpa section of Buddhist dominants back then, in early 17^th century.  Buddhism was introduced in this country by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, in the 7^th century. Guru Rimpoche, a Buddhist Master and considered as the second Buddha, strengthened the religion further in Bhutan.

The monarchy was established officially in the 17^th century when Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel arrived from Tibet and took over the land. He defeated three Tibetan invasders and spread a comprehensive system of governance. However, his death led to an unrest and a civil war followed. Trongsa Penlop Ugyen Wangchuk gained control of the same, and was crowned as the kind in 1907. The dynasty rules the country till date.

My connection to the land has been old though. I grew up in Jalpaiguri, living only about 60 kilometers from the Bhutan border. I could never get a chance to visit this beautiful foreign country though.
Living and spending a large chunk of my life with Bhutanese in my locality had always drawn me towards their culture. However, after moving to Bhubaneswar, I had given up all hopes of visiting it again but good things take their own time. I finally decided, with a friend of mine, to travel to Sikkim and Bhutan. Had it not been for her, I would not have had this chance.  The lady, her daughter, and I, went out on our expedition into the unexplored parts of our lives, and the well-known land of happy monks- BHUTAN.

We planned our trip in June because that is one of the best times to visit Bhutan. We took a train to New Jalpaiguri Junction and the next morning, took a local train from Siliguri junction to Hasimara. The train passes through picturesque sceneries, several Himalayan rivers, plains, agricultural lands, and breath-taking beautiful tea gardens. You will also cross two tunnels, which makes this train journey all the more exciting! From Hasimara, there are several e-rickshaws, cabs, and buses to the eastern Bhutan-India border- Jaigaon. We booked an e-rickshaw that took about a hundred rupees and we were there right at the gate that would lead us to the most-awaited travel destination. An important thing to note here is that the local train, that is supposed to take only three hours, can also get as late as five hours. One can also book flights to Bagdogra and take a cab to either New Jalpaiguri or Jaigaon straight.

While outside the walls of Bhutan, there was chaos, mess, and a lot of dust, the moment we entered inside, it was clean, quiet, and organized. The two different worlds separated just by one wall. Right when you enter, there is the immigration office where you need to get your permits from. You will need either a voter ID or passport, two passport size photos, and your hotel booking confirmations. Children are required to have their birth certificates. I only carried my Aadhar card, which to my disappointment, was not accepted. I had to go to the Indian embassy office- walkable distance, to get a citizenship certificate. The people at the embassy are usually very helpful and you will find it crowded almost all the time!

Arranging the documents took us more than an hour and there was this huge queue as well. The Immigration office closes at 5:30 pm Bhutanese Standard Time, so you also need to very wary of time. Fortunately, our documents were cleared and we went to the next verification where they took our photograph, fingerprints, and basic information. The last step to the verification is getting an authorized permit letter from the office. You can also arrange a Bhutanese sim card there as Indian sim will not work.

It was late in the evening by the time our work got done. I went to the bus depo nearby and booked three early morning bus tickets to Thimpu that cost me Rs 60 each. Since the Indian currency is pegged with the Bhutanese, the exchange is rather easy. We spent our night at a hotel in Phuentsholing. The local markets there are slightly expensive, but you will find all the bare necessities. People are mostly very religious, so you will find a very different vibe. The citizens have deep respect for their kings and queens, thus, large hoardings with the pictures of King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk and Queen Jetsun Pema can be seen everywhere.

After a day full of juggle and tiredness, we looked forward to the next day with a lot of hope.

The bus for Thimphu was a spacious and was filled with workers from India and other Bhutanese. As the bus drove up, the scenery kept getting better, more beautiful, and bewitching. Bhutan is not a regular Himalayan destination. It has a very different feel and zeal to it. The pollution-free environment, cool breeze, greenery all around, monasteries and temples at every junction, and tiny tots trotting their way to school, kept us hooked all throughout.

The driver, adept of his skill since years, drove without fear through all the criss-cross and turns, giving us a fearful experience of a lifetime. The bus stopped on the way at a local restaurant where we had our lunch- rice, dal, and vegetable curry- and got back into the bus. The food was very different, from its smell to the texture to the flavours! It only gets higher as we move to Thimphu and the weather too, changes slightly. It gets cooler in Thimphu but the Sun is very harsh.

Punakha Through Dochula Pass

Our next destination was Punakha, a district popular for its second largest fortress. Upon reaching Thimphu, we went to the Immigration office to get another permit to Punakha. We had booked a homestay there and we were lucky to find really helpful hosts. The host was in Thimphu for work, so he drove us to his place free. However, you will need to book cabs that might charge Rs 300 per person. From Thimphu, we drove left towards Punakha, which is a valley at the lower alleviation.

Punakha served as the capital of the country from 1637 to 1907, and their first national assembly was also hosted here in 1953.

We drove the popular Dochu La pass, one of the highest passes in Bhutan, at a height of 3,100 meters. This beautiful mountain pass, about 20 kilometers from Thimphu, is a concentration of 108 memorial stupas known as ‘Druk Wangyal Chortens’, which was built for the Bhutanese soldiers who died in 2003 military operation. People believe these still carry the spirits of those Bhutanese soldiers. Taking three rounds of the memorial is said to fulfil one’s all wishes. From Dochu La Pass, one can also have a look at all the major mountain peaks including Masaganang, Kangphugang, Tsendagang, Jejegangphugang, and Terigang. You can also visit the beautiful Druk Wangyal Lkakhang temple there, built in honor of His majesty Jihme Singye Wangchuk- the fourth king. Since we did not have time, we could not visit the temple.

From Dochu La Pass, we drove downwards- towards the warm and welcoming Punakha. Our homestay was beside a river and we had to cross a beautiful long bridge that separated the town from the village. By the time we reached, it was already dark, so we simply went up to the farmstay and relaxed.

The hosts had prepared for us a sumptuous meal- rice, dal, omelette, and emadatsi- a local food item made of chilli and cottage cheese.

It was an eventful day as we visited several different places. The first one we visited was Punakha Dzong (fortress) where the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was married to Jetsun Pema. Punakha Dzong was built at the confluence of two major rivers in Bhutan, the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu, which converge in this valley. It is an especially beautiful sight on sunny days with sunlight reflecting off the water onto its white-washed walls.

Punakha valley has a pleasant climate with warm winters and hot summers. It is located at an average elevation of 1200 m above sea level.

In addition to its structural beauty, Punakha Dzong is notable for containing the preserved remains of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan as well as a sacred relic known as the Ranjung Karsapani. This relic is a self-created image of Avalokiteswara that miraculously emerged from the vertebrae of Tsangpa Gyarey, the founder of the Drukpa School when he was cremated.

After a heart-warming and aesthetic visit to the fortress, we walked our way to the longest suspension bridge of Bhutan. It was a sight to behold! There were mountains on either side while the river flowed in between and we walked on the scary, shaky suspension bridge. An important thing to keep in mind is, you will not be allowed inside the Dzong if you wear half-sleeves or half pants. They are very strict about your clothes. There are also a lot of rafters that allow tourists to pay and go rafting.

Since we had booked a cab, we asked the same person to also take us to another popular monastery of Chime Lakhang, a monk infamous for his bold and explicit preachings. He would say that a phallus is a symbol of protection, which is why you will also find a lot of houses with large phalluses drawn on their walls. It is said that negative spirits are kept at bay through this. The temple is also famous as the fertility temple. Any woman who has not been able to conceive, is believed to get pregnant after their visit and worship there.

From there, as one drives, there are large stretches of terrace cultivation and huge mountains all around. The pleasant weather only added to the charm that day.

On our way back, we stopped at the river bank and spent some time there. There is a huge piece of rock, cut in the shape of a cave. Locals believe, Chime Lakhang would meditate sitting there. The lapping sound of water, the setting sun, and mountains- with very few people around- makes it a magical stay in Punakha.

We came back to the homestay and visited the farm house, saw different ways of living, their kitchen where they had made good use of dried pumpkin. They even make soup from dried bone of cows and yaks. Since slaughtering is prohibited in Bhutan, if any animal dies, they use it for consumption. Meat is dried for months and used during off season. They have a local drink, Banchang, made our of fermented wheat and is a must try. It smells bad but has a very refreshing effect!

We were all set to go to Paro- another popular district in Bhutan. We took a cab, which charged us Rs 500 per person and took us to the bustling little religious city. Paro valley extends from the confluence of the Paro Chhu and the Wang Chhu rivers at Chuzom up to Mt. Jomolhari at the Tibetan border to the North. This picturesque region is one of the widest valleys in the kingdom and is covered in fertile rice fields and has a beautiful, crystalline river meandering down the valley. Accentuating the natural beauty are the elegant, traditional-style houses that dot the valley and surrounding hills. One of the distinctive features of Paro town is that it is situated in a flat valley bottom and follows a grid-like pattern. The central plaza is adorned with a large prayer wheel and a small amphitheater where events are held throughout the year.

There are over 155 temples and monasteries in the area, some dating as far back as the 14th century. The country’s first and only international airport is also located in the region. Its close proximity to the historical and religious sites in the region has resulted in the development of an array of luxurious, high end tourist resorts making Paro one of the main destination for visitors. Our homestay was quite far away from the main town and we were very lucky to have witnessed a beautiful rainbow after a mild shower. There were many pine trees around and a lot of dogs, that you must beware of. We took rest that day and tried another local dish- Kewadatsi- prepared from potato, chillies and cottage cheese. Momos there are also very different from those found in India.

This day was all about Taktsang Monastery or the Tiger’s Nest. The very popular trekking site took us the whole day This awe-inspiring temple was constructed upon a sheer cliff face, above forests of oak and rhododendrons. The monastery can be seen hung quite strongly on a cliff about five kilometres up the mountain. Walking up can be very challenging is you have asthma. However, it is a daily task for the natives so do not surprised to see them climbing it within an hour. You can also hire a horse to go up. Guru Rinpoche visited Tiger’s Nest in the 8th century on his second visit to Bhutan. It is believed that he arrived on the back of a winged tigress, hence the name, Tigers Nest.

The jaw-dropping view of the virgin Himalayas, displaying its glorious youth, will make you want to stay back and never leave. As you go up, all around, you will find greenery and different wild flowers. Mid-way, there is a cafeteria where you can have food.

While the climb upwards is not very difficult, returning down can be very strenuous on your knees. So, carry balms and medicines. Also carry a lot of water. We had a very peaceful and satisfying trek and visit to the monastery. It is rare to feel so connected in a land so foreign and receive so much love from strangers. This was our last day in Bhutan but we carried no regrets for not having explored other areas in the country.

The next morning, we booked a cab directly to Phuentsholing. The journey  is more beautiful, and it is so rightly said. It rained heavily when we were returning and we could see clouds all around us. The Himalayan ranges, the rivers, the clouds, the breeze, and light music played on the radio, gave us memories to keep forever!