"He River" and "She River"

After landing at Paro International Airport, tourists usually travel by road to Thimphu for sight seeing and stay there for a day or two. The next popular destination for them is Punakha. The 72 Kilo Meter journey by road from Thimphu to Punakha takes about 2 hours on the winding roads in the hills with a river flowing below the roadside as an accompaniment. The delightful journey itself is a sight-seeing trip. The paddy fields and vegetable growing areas can be seen all along on the hill slopes and valleys. 

On a clear day, while driving from Thimphu to Punakha, one can see a number of Himalayan peaks from an elevated place. Boards are placed to enable tourists identify various peaks, as given in the picture alongside. Punakha is a small town in the Bhutan Himalayas and has a population of only 7,000 people. Located at an elation of 1240 meters above sea level (about 4,000 feet), Punakha was the capital of Bhutan till 1955 after which it was moved to Thimphu. Many resorts in the surrounding hills provide comfortable lodging facilities to the tourists.These resorts are well equipped with modren amenities and provide breathtaking views of the Himalayan hill ranges and forests. 

Punakha is especially known for the magnificent  Punakha Dzong. It is also called "Pungthang Dewachen Namgyal" meaning "The Palace of Happiness". Constructed in the year 1637, this beautiful structure is located at the confluence of the two rivers named Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu. Translated to English the names of the rivers is "He river" and "She river". The picture given at the top, taken from the resort in the hills, shows the two rivers and the confluence place. The picture given alongside has a view of the building itself. 

Entry to the Dzong is by crossing the "He river" through a wooden bridge. An entry fee of 300 Rupees is charged for SAARC country tourists. After entering the compound of the building, one has to climb steep stairs to reach the building proper. The big courtyard in the building is the venue for the famous Punakha Tshechu Religious Festival, known for dances by masked characters and music. Tourists are allowed to see only a part of the building as the other areas house monasteries and offices. There is also a "King's Room" which is guarded round the clock and entry restricted to the King and designated officers. 

The Dzong is vulnerable to sudden and flash floods whenever there are heavy rains in the upper Himalayan peaks surrounding the area. River channels are deepened periodically to protect the building from flash floods. A strong compound wall is also being built to prevent flooding. The resorts in the nearby Hilltop Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten give a magnificient view of river, Dzong and the valley. Red and white rice is grown abundantly in the surrounding areas. Tourists also take a walk form the building to reach a hanging bridge on the "She River" that gives a beautiful view on the other side of the building. We get to see some fractured (not a full rainbow) rainbows in rural areas but for city dwellers rainbows are not easily visible. But one can get a full view of semi-circular rainbows across the hills on the opposite side from the resorts housing the guests. As it rains almost daily in the forest peaks, one can get to see these beautiful rainbows every evening.

Another interesting tourist spot in the Punakha valley is the "Temple of Fertility". Legend has it that Lama Drukpa Kunley, also known as "Divine Madman" wanted to move from Tibet to Bhutan to propagate Buddhist philosophy. He shot an arrow from Tibet which landed in this place. Pleased with her devotion, he blessed the girl at whose place the arrow landed with a child. Since then this place is visited by newly married and childless couple and is known as Chimi La Khang.

Punakha valley also provides opportunity for trekking and fishing. Foreigners have to obtain permit for fishing. Permits are allowed on the condition that the fish caught by them are to be put back in water immediately. You have the pleasure of fishing without destroying the fish population!

Buddha on Thimphu Hill

One of the tourist destinations for international travellers after landing at Paro International airport is Thimphu, capital city of Bhutan. Bhutan is a wonderful destination for vacation for various reasons. It is indeed far away from the maddening crowds, for one. The natural beauty of the hill country, its unspoiled rivers and forests, hills and valleys, leisurely pace of life are all contributing factors for a peaceful holiday spend. 

For a traveler from a city of over 10 to 12 million people, Bhutan and Thimphu make very interesting study. The entire population of Bhutan is well below one million, actually around 8,20,000. The capital city of Thimphu is the biggest city and its population is just about 100,000. Its land mass area is about 26 square kilo meters, spread over the valley and hills.

Tashichho Dzong (Thimpu Fortress) is a beautiful and grand building that houses the main government offices. It has a throne room and the King's offices, the secretariat and ministries of Home affairs and Finance. This 13th century building can be seen from a distance as the tourists move around the city. There are no traffic lights in the city. There is only one traffic policeman in the main junction of the city and he is a tourist attraction. Tourists stop near the junction and take his pictures. It is especially amusing for visitors from cities where the traffic hardly moves despite glowing green lights at traffic junctions. The city has three movie theatres, but only Bhutanese movies are screened there.

The Buddha Dordenma statue overlooking the Thimphu city (see picture at the top) was completed in 2015. It is said to be the largest Shakyamuni Buddha statue ever built and sits on a mountain overlooking the city and the valley. The statue measures 177 feet (about 54 meters). The view of the city from the base of the statue is breathtaking one. The sight within the temple is also worth visiting and gives insight into Buddhism, Bhutan culture and way of life in the country. There are more than 100,000 small Buddha statues inside the temple each of which is made of bronze and gilded in gold. It is surrounded by 36 statues of Yakshis and each of them is different from the other.

Agriculture and tourism are the two major activities in Bhutan. One can see farmers selling their produce in designated market areas as well along road side in the highways connecting the three main cities, Thimphu, Punakha and Paro. Abundant quantities of vegetables are grown in the hill slopes and valleys. A type of red rice is grown in the valley taking advantage of abundant water resources and fertile lands in the slopes and valleys. Two crops a year are common and in some areas even three crops a year is grown. Selling local handicrafts, working as guides and drivers for tourists are other important job creators. Government jobs are sought after for the job security they bring.

The many rivers in the country provide opportunity for generation of hydro electricity. There are four major and several small electricity generating stations in the country. Electricity generation is surplus in summer and exported, mainly to India. The many resorts along the river sides provide delightful stay points for the tourists. Spending a few hours on the river front amidst nature in the front or backyard of one's room in the resorts is a delightful experience. The rich variety of Bhutanese food, trekking, fishing and a mere walk on the way to places of tourist interest make a visit to Bhutan a memorable experience.