Posts Tagged ‘bumthang festival’

1. Hotel Home(3 star): Nestled in a perfect place, Hotel Home is a walking distance from main town. Taking a respite at hotel home is relishing the magnificent views of Chamkhar river, Jakar Dzong, Monasteries and the villages.
Our rooms are set up with traditional flavor but furnished with all the comfort amenities. Since its establishment in 2006 our continental, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Bhutanese delicacies have been extolled by our guests.

Contact Number:
Tele: 00975-3-63144 / 631666
Fax: 00975-3-631450

2. River Lodge(3 star):Situated beautifully with a commanding view of Bumthang valley and river, the lodge features 31comfortable rooms, done up in traditional style. All rooms are equipped with attached bath, running hot & cold water and heating. The lodge has a small library, with good selection of books on Bhutan’s history, art and culture. The utility shop here offers variety of Bhutanese hand crafted items, such as jewelry, textiles and basic traveler accessories.

Contact Address:
Tele: +975-3 631287
Fax: 631668

This fascinating valley is the religious heartland of the nation and home to some of the oldest Buddhist temples and monasteries. Its gentle sloping hills offer plenty of walking opportunities to the many temples that dot this valley. The valley is also famous for its production of honey, cheese, apples and the yathra- a woolen material that has multiple uses. The following are some of the prominent places to visit in Bumthang.

Jambay Lhakhang: It is one of the 108 monasteries built by King Songtsen Goenpo in the 8th century to subdue evil spirits in the Himalayan region.

Kurjey Lhakhang: Means body print. It dates back to 8th century when Guru Rimpoche first visited Bhutan. It is after his visit to the Monyul (country in the darkness); Buddhism was introduced in the country. He is said to have meditated in a cave after which it is believed that he had left his body print where the old temple stands today.

Hike across to Tamzhing Lhakhang “Temple of good message”. It was built by Terton Pema Lingpa (Treasure Discoverer) in 1501AD. We can see the paintings done by him on the wall and an iron jacket which was also made by him. It’s believed that if we wear that jacket and circum-ambulate the temple three times we will be able to cleanse some of the sins that we had committed or you can visit next day.

Mebar Tsho(Lake of Burning Fire): This is a sacred lake for Bhutanese who believe that Pema Lingpa discovered religious treasures from this lake in the 12th century. On auspicious days many Bhutanese go and offer butter lamps on this fresh water lake.

Ura Village: Ura lies in the Tang valley, a one and a half hour drive from Bumthang town. The drive is mainly through sheep pastures and along the way one can glimpse a magnificent view of Mount Gangkhar Phuensum from Ura La(Pass). The main characteristics of this village are the closely clustered houses. It is the last settlement before the climb to the highest road pass as Trumsingla.

Excursion to Ogyen Chholing Palace: The history of Ogyen Choling begins with the visit of the great Tibetan master of Buddhism, Longchen Rabjam (1308-63). He is the most celebrated writer and philosopher of the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism and is regarded as the synthesizer of the doctrine and methods of Dzogchen, ‘School of Great Perfection’. Oral tradition explains why the great master chose the location for his centre.
Looking up from the valley towards Ogyen Choling with the Kanyai mountain to the east, the panoramic view is that of the shape of an elephant’s head. The estate provides an excellent insight into the lifestyles and living conditions of a typical landed family over the last century. The heirs of Ogyen Choling, therefore, decided to convert parts of their ancestral home to a museum. This decision was made with the hope of sharing this heritage with as many people as possible and at the same time preserve and maintain Ogyen Choling as a religious and cultural center. The museum was formally opened in May 2001.

Jakar Dzong: The Dzong was initially built as a monastery in 1549 by the great grand father of the Zhabdrung. It is now used as the administrative center for the Bumthang district. The Bumthang Tshechu(festival) is one of the most popular. It is held mostly at night and is said to bring fertility to any woman wanting a child.