[Post-Edit Note: All pictures and written content in this post was originally created in 2018, unless otherwise credited.]

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Lush green Punakha. Beautiful, remote, and lashed by the legend of phalluses.

But first.

Day 3 saw us leaving Thimphu for Punakha, one of the most revered towns in Bhutan for its scenery, history and religious spirit. Like all old cities that once lived its life as an ancient capital, the air here is peaceful, rustic, and sacred; with a lilting trace of regality you can’t quite put your finger on.

Commute from Thimphu to Punakha is a mere 3 hours by road; and en route it is inevitable that you will pass Dochula Pass, a concentration of 108 chortens (stupas) built in memory of Bhutanese soldiers killed in the 2003 war against insurgents from India.  It’s touted as one of the most beautiful mountain passes in the world, and if you’re lucky and the skies are clear, you’ll even get a jawdropping view of the Himalayas – snowcapped and all.

Obviously, I didn’t. Twice.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be bitching silly about the cold (which here ranges from anything between 2°C and 16°C) so please bring a jacket or windbreaker or something that’ll cover you up more than usual because if the cold doesn’t kill you, the wind will. I wouldn’t actually recommend wearing a sweater (unless it’s a throw-on) because Punaka is hot as hell; and you will die if you go there unable to do a quick change-out.

It is not hyperbole.

Let’s cut the chase and get to the point of Punakha.

There are many things to do and see when you’re in this spiritual valley of vast terraced rice fields, but perhaps the most renowned would be Chimi Lhakhang, otherwise known as the Fertility Temple.

This particular monastery is modest in size, common in architecture, and not quite different nor typically outstanding from the outside (although, it sure does make you walk one hell of a path before you get there); but yet, thousands around the world make their way to this very temple for a very specific kind of blessing every year.

Why?

Driving or walking up to the entrance of this temple, you will pass many villages and shophouses; and if you keep your eyes peeled, you will notice variations of penises displayed around – whether they’re painted on walls, hanging from roofs, or simply placed there as an ornament of sorts.

Why?

It might come across as being almost obscene to anyone outside of the Buddhist/Bhutanese culture; but traditionally, symbols of an erect penis in Bhutan are believed to drive away malicious gossip and the evil eye. Chimi Lhakhang itself is a highly revered temple of blessings that childless couples come to seek help from a higher power; or new parents come to give thanks for their blessings. On the internet you will find countless anecdotes from even tourists who were successful in getting pregnant after making the pilgrimage to Chimi Lhakhang. 

Is it just me, or is it a little demeaning that a part of the blessing ritual requires the woman to carry a huge wooden Phallus carving and circle the parameters of the temple three times. I’m not insulting the practice per se; I’m of faith and I am absolutely aware that all faiths, at one point or another, decrees the strangest and most inexplicable practices. But why is it only the woman who has to do bear that walk of shame responsiblity?

So, the one person whom you will walk away from Punakha definitely knowing, is Drukpa Kunley. Better known to the world as The Divine Madman.

What I am about to tell you here now are all cold hard facts; and if at times I come across as mocking or derisive – I assure you, I am not. It is simply your mind’s inability to register these things as reality, and for perfectly understandable reason too so don’t worry.

Apart from being known as The Divine Madman, Drukpa Kunley also went by his revered title, ‘The Saint of 5,000 Women’; simply because of his methods of enlightening other beings, particularly women. Among other things, women would seek his blessing in the form of sex. His intention was to show that it is possible to be enlightened, impart enlightenment, and still lead a very healthy sex life, i.e. celibacy is not mutually exclusive to being enlightened.

Despite all, Kunley was a highly respected Buddhist Lama who freed Bhutan from evil forces. His penis is referred to as the ‘Thunderbolt of Flaming Wisdom’; and it is recorded in legend that he had used his penis to fight off many evil spirits and demons during his day, keeping the village safe from harm.

If there is anything we should take away from this, it’s how Kunley’s unconventional ways of teaching and socially unacceptable behaviour challenged the preconceived notions of Buddhism; and yet, still ended up liberating the religion from strict and  dogmatic religious practices. He might have been crazy – a lunatic almost, in that day and age – but it was this very insanity that immortalised him and his words.

Therefore, do not, let the world tell you that you’re crazy.

If there is one thing you will learn somewhere around Day 3, it’s that you can expect to visit a whole lot of Dzongs when you’re in Bhutan. One, because there’s one in every district; and two, because they’re symbolic.

Simply put, Dzongs are the administrative centres of every district, and they’re where all your governmental going-ons, well, go on. Dzongs are often impressive majestic structures that sprawl across a huge territory; and because of the strong confluence of religion and administration in Bhutan; at the back of the office wing, you’ll always find an equally impressive Buddhist chapel, overseeing it all.

Punakha, being the ancient capital of Bhutan, naturally has a Dzong steeped in richer history and significance than the rest. To this day, it is where all royal weddings and coronations take place; and it still remains the most majestic Dzong in the country, even long after Thimphu rose to the throne as capital.

(Side tip, after you’ve seen the Punakha Dzong, you’ve pretty much seen all Dzongs, so please feel free to consult your guide for alternative ideas because, seriously after the third Dzong in three different districts, it… kind… of… starts to feel like something that belongs on the List of ‘Why Did You Bring Me Here Again‘ places.)

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Punakha’s Suspension Bridge seems to be one more place of interest in this valley district – and for considerable reason. It’s the longest of its kind in Bhutan, gives you quite the panoramic view of everything, and crosses you over to the other bank of the Pochhu River, where traces of the Divine Madman can still be found in the form of markings on rocks, monasteries and local stories.

Having had to share aisle space with a yak once on a suspension bridge in Nepal, I can assure you, this bridge still promises thrill – and if it doesn’t, keep looking down at the river as you cross.

Click here (Day 1) and here (Day 2) to catch up on my Bhutan experience if you haven’t; in the mean time, I’ll be popping by again real soon with more from the fourth!