Bhutan, Beyond Heaven and the Earth...
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Gasa Valley, Bhutan, 2018.
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Gasa Valley, Bhutan, 2018.
The Fortress overlooking the mystical Gasa Valley shadowed by mighty peaks.
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“Should we continue to look upwards? Is the light we can see in the sky one of those which will presently be extinguished? The ideal is terrifying to behold... brilliant but threatened on all sides by the dark forces that surround it: nevertheless, no more in danger than a star in the jaws of the clouds.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
Gasa Valley, Bhutan, 2018.
A glimpse of rural Bhutan with its characteristic terraces.
“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
― Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution
Dobji Dzong, Haa Valley, Bhutan, 2018.
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“Too late came I to love you, O Beauty both so ancient and so new! Too late came I to love you - and behold you were with me all the time . . .”
― Augustine of Hippo, Confessions
We were in the remote region of Bumtang. It's not allowed to take pictures inside the dzongs. So, the only ones you can take, are of the monks praying outside.
Gasa Valley, Bhutan, 2018.
Primula denticulata (drumstick primrose) is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to moist alpine regions of Asia, from Afghanistan to south eastern Tibet, Burma and China. It is an herbaceous perennial growing to 45 cm (18 in) tall and wide, with rosettes of oval leaves and sturdy stems bearing spherical umbels of purple flowers in late spring and early summer. [source: wikipedia.com]
“The snowdrop and primrose our woodlands adorn, and violets bathe in the wet o' the morn.”
― Robert Burns
Photography has no rules. It is not a sport. It is the result which counts, no matter how it is achieved.
On our first full day in Bhutan, we attended day 3 of the four-day Thimphu Tsechu, an annual religious festival held in Thimphu's Tashichhoe Dzong in 2006. Each day sacred Cham Dances (Mask Dances) are performed by dancers in a state of meditation, who embody Tibetan Buddhist deities. Folk dances are also performed. The festival was established in 1670 and has been held every year since then. It commemorates the birth of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century. The dances were performed in a courtyard in front of the dzong's Kunrey Lakhang (main prayer hall). Today the Thimphu Tsechu lasts 3 days and is held annually in a purpose-built space adjacent to the dzong. Monks are seen here watching the Tsechu from the Kunrey Lakhang.
The Tashichhoe Dzong was built on this site in Thimphu in the 17th century, suffered repeated damage from fires and was struck by an earthquake in 1897. The dzong was renovated and enlarged from 1962-1968 by King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (ruled 1952-1972). Today it houses the throne room, offices of the King, the chambers of the Je Khenpo (the senior Buddhist leader in Bhutan), monks quarters, prayer halls, the secretariat, ministry of home affairs and the ministry of finance.
On the way to the Nyile La Pass, the path up can be seen to the right (still a long way to go!). Chomolhari mountain can be seen in the background.
Gasa Tshechu, Gasa Valley, Bhutan, 2018.
Two Atsaras (clowns) entertaining the spectators during the annual buddhist festival.
“There is nothing in the world that is not mysterious, but the mystery is more evident in certain things than in others: in the sea, in the eyes of the elders, in the color yellow, and in music.”
― Jorge Luis Borges
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Perched on a cliff-top, Bhutan's Taktsang monastery, also known as the Tiger's Nest, is one of the most breathtaking temples in the world.
The Buddhist place of worship is built on a rock around 3,000m (10,000ft) above sea level.
The main temple complex was built in 1692 and is considered to be one of the holiest for the Bhutanese people.
The Tiger's Nest Monastery, perched high up on a mountain in Bhutan. This monastery complex in the Himalayas was originally built in 1692, and is known locally as 'Paro Taktshang'. Some monks live in this monastery and they meditate, study and pray here everyday.
Paintings at Punakha Dzong.
The second oldest dzong in Bhutan, it was begun in 1637 also on the order of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. The dzong was significantly expanded from 1744-1763 during the reign of the 13th desi (the secular ruler, as opposed to the Je Khenpo, who is the chief abbot of Bhutan, and who holds equal power), Sherab Wangchuk. The dzong has suffered numerous fires and was significantly damaged by the 1897 earthquake. The current king has ordered all repairs to be done using traditional methods and materials.
Paintings at Punakha Dzong.
The second oldest dzong in Bhutan, it was begun in 1637 also on the order of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. The dzong was significantly expanded from 1744-1763 during the reign of the 13th desi (the secular ruler, as opposed to the Je Khenpo, who is the chief abbot of Bhutan, and who holds equal power), Sherab Wangchuk. The dzong has suffered numerous fires and was significantly damaged by the 1897 earthquake. The current king has ordered all repairs to be done using traditional methods and materials.