The road from Thimphu to Punakha goes through a high point called Dochula Pass. It means that within a span of two hours you will face a gradual fall of temperature from 20 to 15 degrees and then again rise to 22 degrees when you reach the river base. Yes, rivers are omnipresent in Bhutan. The pass itself is a major tourist attraction thaks to a fantastic view of the valley and a construction of 108 towers at the roundabout representing fogotten martyrs.
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| Dochula Pass Memorial |
We had booked our hotel right next to the flowing river in a small town called Khuruthang, couple of miles before the famed Punakha Dzong. To our chagrin, the hotel was closed. They moved us to another hotel little away. The rooms here were larger with a view of flowing river. Somehow assauged, we settled for lunch in a restaurant at the end of town which was a 10 minute walk. Filled, we took a shared cab for Nu40 each and reached the Dzong in another 5 minutes.
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| Punakha Dzong |
Punakha Dzong is majestic by any standards. It is one place that truly represents Bhutan in entirely. A wooden bridge takes you to the gates of the Dzong which is by the way fully functional as a district office for Punakha. How I would love to have an office campus like that! The mandatory guide accompanying us was talkative. He told us about myths of Bhutan and figures in the Dzong representing those myths. Lord Buddha was prominent among most of the stories.
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| Rich murals at Punakha Dzong |
The Dzong is built of wood, limestone and stones. A Bodhi tree, allegedly brought from Bodhgaya by the first disciples of Buddha, gives the compound a serene look. There is a temple inside with a massive statue of Buddha himself along with prominent Bhutanese legends - people who built Bhutan. The King’s seat is in another section which the King of Bhutan gets married in another section within the Dzong.
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| Suspension Bridge near Punakha |
Coming out we decided to go for the suspension bridge. On the way we came across the back side of Dzong which was equally beautiful adjacent to a small lake. The suspension bridge is over the male side of the river that forks just before the complex creating an island. It is the longest suspension bridge that I have seen and that too at such a scenic location. It was getting dark and we had to arrange cab for back trip to Khuruthang.
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