SIMANACHARIYA TOURS AND TRAVELS
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(iii) PUNAKHA SECTOR:-
This sector is consisted with PUNAKHA District.PUNAKHA is the least elevated of Bhutan's central valleys and famous for its benign climate in which fruit trees flourish within sight of the snow-crested Himalayan Mountains. PUNAKHA was the setting for some of the most significant historic events in the country. It was here that the dual system of governance was first established, the first King of Bhutan was enthroned, and the first session of the National Assembly was held. It was the capital of Bhutan from 1651 and remained the seat of government till 1960’s and still retains the serene atmosphere of a place with a regal past. Today, it continues to be the winter residence for the monastic body. It consists of eleven administrative counties. PUNAKHA is the administrative centre of PUNAKHA DOZNGKHAG, one of the 20 districts of BHUTAN. PUNAKHA is about 72 km away from THIMPHU and it takes about 3 hours by car from the capital THIMPHU. Unlike THIMPHU it is quite warm in winter and hot in summer. It is located at an elevation of 1,200 metres above sea level.
Punakha has been inextricably linked to some of the most momentous events in the Bhutanese history and deserves its reputation as one of the most beautiful and significant regions at the heart of Bhutanese culture. This district, levelling from 1300m at the valley floor rises to almost 3000m around Dochhula pass, served as the capital of Bhutan from 1637 till 1907 and the 1st National Assembly was held here. The DZONG is historically important and stands as the symbol for a unified Bhutan.The Punakha DZONG ancient capital of Bhutan is set on a spit of land just above the junction where the rivers Pho Chuu and Mo Chuu meet to form the Sankosh.
The road from Simtokha winds into pine forests and through small villages for 20 Kms and then open miraculously onto the northern ridge of the mountains. The view over the Himalayas at Dorchula pass, at 10500 feet (3150m), is one of the spectacular in all Bhutan. Within sight of the alpine snows is a magnificent canvas of colour - a profusion of red, pink, white, yellow and purple rhododendron blossoms splashed amongst the soft green of wild herbs, and forest trees. Punakha along with Paro and JAKAR, completes the triangle of most popular tourist destinations. PUNAKHAoffers a wide of attractions for its travellers.
The most popular attractions of PUNAKHA are:-
Punakha DZONG:
Placed strategically at the junction of the Pho Chu and Mo Chu rivers, the DZONG was built in 1637 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to serve as the religious and administrative seat of the region. It was here that the dual system of government was introduced in the 17th century and in 1907, enthroned the first King Gongsr Ugyen Wangchuck. Damaged over the centuries by four catastrophic fires and an earthquake, the DZONG has been fully restored in the recent years by the 4th King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. At the DZONG enrich your trip with the opportunity to see the highest standards in woodwork. Do not miss the massive Kuenray, the Coronation Hall of all Bhutanese kings, the DZONGchung at the entrance to the DZONG and the cantilever bridge over the Mochu that has been recently renovated.
Khamsum Yuley Temple:
There is no temple in Bhutan built elaborately as this. This fascinating temple was built by the Queen Mother of the 5th King to bring universal peace in this world. The best of the spiritual art works are painted on the inner walls. There are also paintings of Buddhist teachers and tutelary deities of the country. This is a great temple to study the symbolic meanings from frescoes and sculptures.
Chhimi LHAKHANG:
The divine madman also known, as Drukpa Kinley is a famous teacher with whom the phallic symbol is associated. Tales told by your guide would have excited you to visit Chhimi LHAKHANG. The Divine Madman sits there though a statue this time. Do not miss the master’s deeds painted on the walls. Japanese and several American couples visited this temple and were blessed miraculously with children.
Talo Excursion:
A day excursion to Talo would be great with picnic lunch. The festival there happens in spring and will capture any visitor’s attention. Let your tour take you there in summer during corn harvest. It’s an adventure to enjoy corn harvest with the farmers and also an opportunity to look for Himalayan bear. A walk through Talo and down to the other village of Nobgang will be a great day’s itinerary.
Nalanda Buddhist College:
Locals call this place Dalayna and the monks call it Nalanda Buddhist College. If you want to chat up with monks in English then this is the place to go. The monks here are dying to practise the new language they learn. Drive there in the afternoon and enjoy your evening tea supplemented by the ravishing view in front of you.
Chorten Nigpo walks:
The walk to Chorten Ningpo passes through several villages. Many visitors love this walk in summer and in autumn. In summer the rice fields are lush and gardens are filled with multitudes of vegetables and fruits. Likewise autumn enchants visitors with the golden hue of ripening rice. For adventure loving hard core walkers we recommend a detour to Hokotso, a lowland lake that holds many legends.
Ritsha Village
Punakha valley is famous in Bhutan for rice farming. Both red and white rice are grown along the river valley of Pho and Mo Chu, two of the most prominent rivers in Bhutan. Ritsha (meaning at the base of a hill) is a typical village in Punakha. The village houses are made of pounded mud with stone foundations. Each house is only two storeys high. Surrounding the houses are the gardens and the rice fields. The gardens also usually have fruit bearing plants like oranges and papaya among the organic vegetables. In the recent years, the farming work is mechanized and power-tillers instead of bullocks are used to plough the fields and villagers have become relatively prosperous. This is a model rice growing village in western Bhutan.
Cantilever Bridge
A covered wooden cantilever bridge crossing the Mo Chhu River was built together with the DZONG in the 17th century. This bridge was washed away by a flash flood in 1957 or 1958. In 2006 work started on a new covered wooden cantilever bridge of traditional construction with a free span of 55 meters which was completed in 2008 with the help from the Germans.
Wangdi
It is also called Wangdi Phodrang but for daily use, Wangdi is used. It lies in an altitude of 1210 m and it is just about 21 Km from Punakha. It is windy and dusty, especially in the afternoon. Punajanchu River flows across the valley.
Wangdi Dzong
Wangdi dzong sits on the top of the high ridge. It was built in 1638 by Shabdrung Nawang Namgyal. The ridge provides a panoramic view of the valley.
This sector is consisted with PUNAKHA District.PUNAKHA is the least elevated of Bhutan's central valleys and famous for its benign climate in which fruit trees flourish within sight of the snow-crested Himalayan Mountains. PUNAKHA was the setting for some of the most significant historic events in the country. It was here that the dual system of governance was first established, the first King of Bhutan was enthroned, and the first session of the National Assembly was held. It was the capital of Bhutan from 1651 and remained the seat of government till 1960’s and still retains the serene atmosphere of a place with a regal past. Today, it continues to be the winter residence for the monastic body. It consists of eleven administrative counties. PUNAKHA is the administrative centre of PUNAKHA DOZNGKHAG, one of the 20 districts of BHUTAN. PUNAKHA is about 72 km away from THIMPHU and it takes about 3 hours by car from the capital THIMPHU. Unlike THIMPHU it is quite warm in winter and hot in summer. It is located at an elevation of 1,200 metres above sea level.
Punakha has been inextricably linked to some of the most momentous events in the Bhutanese history and deserves its reputation as one of the most beautiful and significant regions at the heart of Bhutanese culture. This district, levelling from 1300m at the valley floor rises to almost 3000m around Dochhula pass, served as the capital of Bhutan from 1637 till 1907 and the 1st National Assembly was held here. The DZONG is historically important and stands as the symbol for a unified Bhutan.The Punakha DZONG ancient capital of Bhutan is set on a spit of land just above the junction where the rivers Pho Chuu and Mo Chuu meet to form the Sankosh.
The road from Simtokha winds into pine forests and through small villages for 20 Kms and then open miraculously onto the northern ridge of the mountains. The view over the Himalayas at Dorchula pass, at 10500 feet (3150m), is one of the spectacular in all Bhutan. Within sight of the alpine snows is a magnificent canvas of colour - a profusion of red, pink, white, yellow and purple rhododendron blossoms splashed amongst the soft green of wild herbs, and forest trees. Punakha along with Paro and JAKAR, completes the triangle of most popular tourist destinations. PUNAKHAoffers a wide of attractions for its travellers.
The most popular attractions of PUNAKHA are:-
Punakha DZONG:
Placed strategically at the junction of the Pho Chu and Mo Chu rivers, the DZONG was built in 1637 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to serve as the religious and administrative seat of the region. It was here that the dual system of government was introduced in the 17th century and in 1907, enthroned the first King Gongsr Ugyen Wangchuck. Damaged over the centuries by four catastrophic fires and an earthquake, the DZONG has been fully restored in the recent years by the 4th King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. At the DZONG enrich your trip with the opportunity to see the highest standards in woodwork. Do not miss the massive Kuenray, the Coronation Hall of all Bhutanese kings, the DZONGchung at the entrance to the DZONG and the cantilever bridge over the Mochu that has been recently renovated.
Khamsum Yuley Temple:
There is no temple in Bhutan built elaborately as this. This fascinating temple was built by the Queen Mother of the 5th King to bring universal peace in this world. The best of the spiritual art works are painted on the inner walls. There are also paintings of Buddhist teachers and tutelary deities of the country. This is a great temple to study the symbolic meanings from frescoes and sculptures.
Chhimi LHAKHANG:
The divine madman also known, as Drukpa Kinley is a famous teacher with whom the phallic symbol is associated. Tales told by your guide would have excited you to visit Chhimi LHAKHANG. The Divine Madman sits there though a statue this time. Do not miss the master’s deeds painted on the walls. Japanese and several American couples visited this temple and were blessed miraculously with children.
Talo Excursion:
A day excursion to Talo would be great with picnic lunch. The festival there happens in spring and will capture any visitor’s attention. Let your tour take you there in summer during corn harvest. It’s an adventure to enjoy corn harvest with the farmers and also an opportunity to look for Himalayan bear. A walk through Talo and down to the other village of Nobgang will be a great day’s itinerary.
Nalanda Buddhist College:
Locals call this place Dalayna and the monks call it Nalanda Buddhist College. If you want to chat up with monks in English then this is the place to go. The monks here are dying to practise the new language they learn. Drive there in the afternoon and enjoy your evening tea supplemented by the ravishing view in front of you.
Chorten Nigpo walks:
The walk to Chorten Ningpo passes through several villages. Many visitors love this walk in summer and in autumn. In summer the rice fields are lush and gardens are filled with multitudes of vegetables and fruits. Likewise autumn enchants visitors with the golden hue of ripening rice. For adventure loving hard core walkers we recommend a detour to Hokotso, a lowland lake that holds many legends.
Ritsha Village
Punakha valley is famous in Bhutan for rice farming. Both red and white rice are grown along the river valley of Pho and Mo Chu, two of the most prominent rivers in Bhutan. Ritsha (meaning at the base of a hill) is a typical village in Punakha. The village houses are made of pounded mud with stone foundations. Each house is only two storeys high. Surrounding the houses are the gardens and the rice fields. The gardens also usually have fruit bearing plants like oranges and papaya among the organic vegetables. In the recent years, the farming work is mechanized and power-tillers instead of bullocks are used to plough the fields and villagers have become relatively prosperous. This is a model rice growing village in western Bhutan.
Cantilever Bridge
A covered wooden cantilever bridge crossing the Mo Chhu River was built together with the DZONG in the 17th century. This bridge was washed away by a flash flood in 1957 or 1958. In 2006 work started on a new covered wooden cantilever bridge of traditional construction with a free span of 55 meters which was completed in 2008 with the help from the Germans.
Wangdi
It is also called Wangdi Phodrang but for daily use, Wangdi is used. It lies in an altitude of 1210 m and it is just about 21 Km from Punakha. It is windy and dusty, especially in the afternoon. Punajanchu River flows across the valley.
Wangdi Dzong
Wangdi dzong sits on the top of the high ridge. It was built in 1638 by Shabdrung Nawang Namgyal. The ridge provides a panoramic view of the valley.