Of Takins and Dzongs

Well it's my last weekend in Bhutan and before the long trip home I decided to do some local touring around Thimphu.  On Saturday, Ed and I decided to hike up to the Motithang Nature Preserve to see the Bhutanese national animal, the Takin. .Legend has it that the Takin was created by the great saint, the Divine Madman, Llama Drukpa Kunley.  While visiting Bhutan in the 15th century the people asked him to use his magical powers to perform a miracle.  However, before any magic was to be performed, the Llama asked for a goat and a cow for lunch.  He ravenously devoured them both, following which he stuck the goats head onto the bones of the cow and snapped his fingers.  The beast jumped up and ran to the meadows to graze.  Thus was created (or so legend has it) the dong gyem tsey or takin.

Looking somewhat like a cross between a moose (I am from Maine!) and a buffalo, the animals winter in the lowland valleys and in summer migrate to subalpine forests to graze and avoid the leeches, mosquitos, and other parasites which arrive with the monsoons.  During the summer the takins gain weight on the luxuriant grass and mate.  Calves (usually one per cow) are born about 8 months later. Takins are a protected animal.  There is apparently little poaching, though minute amounts of the horns are used in traditional Bhutanese medicine to treat women having a difficult child birth.

As an aside, the preserve was disbanded awhile back at the order of the King, as it was felt having these animals in captivity was not consistent with Bhutanese environmental and religious convictions.  However, the animals were so tame that they took to wandering the streets of Thimphu looking for food and they had to be put back into captivity.

It took us about 90 minutes to hike up to the preserve.  The day was warm, and the takins were quite lackadaisical.  I did manage to get several pictures of them (though I am afraid none are very good).

Hard to see, but there is a takin in the trees

Just resting against the fence

Same takin, different view

Entrance to the preserve

 

 

Today I was on my own and decided to walk to the north of the city where Trashi Chhoe Dzong sits on the bank of the Wang Chuu River.

This is not the original dzong, which was built in 1216, but destroyed by fire in 1771.  Almost all dzongs have had fires, in part a result of their wood shingle roofs.  By that time the present dzong had already been built lower on the hill to house the large numbers of monks and officials present.  When the upper site burned, it was abandoned in favor of the present dzong.  This dzong, too has had several fires (three since 1866).  Tashi Chhoe Dzong translates as Fortress of the Glorious Religion.  When King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck moved the capital to Thimphu in 1962, the dzong was renovated.  Other than the utse (central tower) and chapels which were not touched, the dzong was entirely rebuilt in the traditional fashion which uses no nails or architectural plans. 

This dzong was the site of the coronation of the present and 5th Dragon King in 2008.  There are towers at the four corners, with administrative offices at the southern end and monastic quarters at the northern end.  This dzong seemed more austere and imposing than the Panakha Dzong.  That may have been in part due to the lack of a festival with few visitors and no crowds.  There was also a much greater police presence than at Panakha, perhaps because Thimphu is the capital.  This served only to increase the imposing nature of the fortress.

Northern courtyard

Entrance to the northern assembly hall

The utse (central tower) seen in the background from the steps of the assembly hall.

Southern entrance to the administrative wing (not open to the public)

 

Within the northern assembly hall there is a large statue of Sakayamuni (the historic Buddha).  In front of this are three thrones for the current king. former king, and Je Khempo (religious leader of the country).  Looking up at the ceiling one can see a gorgeous mandela.  The entire hall glitters with gold and there are two smaller altars flanking the main altars, with smaller statues.  Once again, as a sanctified space pictures are not allowed and one must remove one's shoes to enter.

Outside the meeting hall, numerous murals which I was allowed to photograph adorned the walls.

Upon my return from the dzong I had to pack.  Tomorrow morning we travel to Paro to catch an 11:00 AM flight to Bangkok.  The forecast is for clear weather which is essential, as Paro is under visual flight rules.  This is understandable, as when landing it seemed at one time that there were mountains just feet away thru the windows on either side of the plane.  My trip will take me from Bangkok, back to Tokyo on to Chicago and finally to Portland.  All told I will spend 46 hours traveling.  That is a lot of time in airports.  The plan is to somehow stay awake until the flight from Tokyo to Chicago, which will be night hours by EDT, and begin to reset my internal clock. 

Though this will be my last post from Bhutan, it will not be my last post.  This blog more than anything has been created to keep a record of my experiences for myself.  If some of you reading it have found it interesting and occasionally thought provoking, I am pleased.  I do want to take some time to develop some reflections upon the past month.  Look for one more post in about a week.  Hopefully I will find some things to take away from this amazing experience.