Mythical Bhutan

Bhutan tours immerse you in a kingdom of fables, flying tigers and evil spirits - a Himalayan landscape where the power of deities, reincarnation, meditation and prayer are intrinsic to the national culture.

Bhutan is a country where evil spirits and mythical deities are as much a part of daily life as eating and drinking, and on Bhutan tours you'll also see the people wearing their national costume at work and home. This is a country that will astonish you with its beauty and enchant your imagination with its ancient culture and beliefs.

National Memorial Chorten

Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan, a place rather neglected by conventional tourist routes. A popular sight for Bhutan tours is the striking National Memorial Chorten (multi-tiered stone monument) which is shaped like an urn with an angular waist tapering to a golden spire. It was built in dedication to the popular third king, known as the father of modern Bhutan, and has numerous statues and pictures inside representing Buddhist Gods and tales. Outside there are prayer wheels around the walls which are drum-like cylinders on spindles, decorated with Buddhist script and designs and often encased in the archways of a wall. Spinning the wheels helps visualise Tantric prayers, sending the good wishes depicted on the wheel out into the world. They should be rotated in a clockwise direction, and you should also walk around the Chorten in a clockwise direction because walking anti-clockwise around such religious monuments angers the spirits.

Dzongs and Monasteries

From Thimphu, Bhutan tours tend to take you to the former capital at Punakha. Here you'll find the temple of Punakha Dzong, a pretty white-walled and red-roofed fort. The Dzong is set against the background of rolling hills between the banks of the Mo Chhu and the Pho Chhu Rivers. The windows of the Dzong fortress are set in intricately carved wooden frames that might look at home in the Swiss Alps.

Dzongs and monasteries are characteristic features of Bhutan. These are sprawling and complex buildings traditionally constructed to spiritual specifications rather than architectural design, where a holy man determines the dimensions of the building.

One of the most famous monasteries in Bhutan is the "Tiger's Nest" Taksang temple close to the large town of Paro. It is perched high on a mountainside shelf, six hundred metres and two hours' hike up from the valley floor for those on Bhutan tours. The Taksang temple was once a place of meditation for the second Buddha, who was called Padmashambava. Legend has it that Padmashambava was born into the world as a small child, emerging from a lotus blossom. He then travelled to Bhutan, over the Himalaya, on the back of a flying tigress where he defeated five demons, who were opposing the spread of Buddhism in Bhutan.

Myths and Legends

Padmashambava's story may sound outlandish to western ears, but not as strange as the commemoration to Drukpa Kunley that you may encounter on Bhutan Tours. Drukpa Kunley was a 15th Century Buddhist teacher, later referred to as "The Divine Madman," who possessed magical powers of exorcism in his genitalia. He used his prowess to defeat demons, and so many houses now display murals or phallic icons (equivalent to gargoyles) which are symbols of fertility and used to scare off evil spirits. This is just one tradition in a remarkable culture that will grab your imagination and make a memorable holiday.