Bhutan

Punakha Dzong, situated at the confluence of Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers was founded in 1637/ 38 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal . Until 1955 it was the seat of the Bhutanese government. A few days after this photo was taken, the royal wedding took place in the Dzong.

Cosmic mandalas depict the movements of sun, moon and other planets around Mount Meru, the axis mundi. The elements are depicted in the blue circle: Wind or Air (blue) stands for the gaseous state; Fire (red) stands for transformation; Water for liquid, represented by a half-circle or circle; Earth for solid matter ( yellow square or cube). 10-Week Picture Projects: Shapes, Week 3: Circle/round www.buddhanet.net/mandalas.htm www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php/The_Cosmic_Mandala:_Celebrating_Tibetan_Astronomy_and_Cosmology

Lateral road from Wangdue Phodrang to Thimphu climbing towards Dochula pass (3100m).

Dochu La is ca. 3100m high pass connecting Thimphu and Punakha. The 108 memorial chortens (stupas) are a relatively recent addition. HFF everybody!

The 108 memorial chortens on Dochu La pass were erected by Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, the eldest Queen Mother. Early in the morning in good weather the main Himalayan chain with 7570m high Gangkhar Puensum can be seen from there. Once the sun is up the clouds creep in so we only caught brief glimpses of the high peaks (see note).

Boys posing for photos at the Thimphu tsechu (religious festival). The dances hadn't started yet so they were looking for other entertainment;-)

Atsaras are (very) bawdy comic relief during Bhutanese Tsechus (religious dance festivals). The term Atsara derives from the Sanskrit Acharya (holy teacher), Atsaras are said to have been among the 80 disciples of the Buddha, they are Dupthobs (enlightened beings) who defy contemporary norms and socially accepted human behaviour thereby holding a mirror to people's hypocrisy and self importance. Atsaras sind die Clowns der religiösen Tanzfeste (Tsechus) in Bhutan, ihr Auftreten lockert die strengen Tänze auf und ist ziemlich robust und zotig;-) Der Begriff Atsara kommt aus dem Sanskrit Acharya (heiliger Lehrer). Atsaras sollen zu den 80 Schülern des Buddha gehört haben, sie sind Drubthobs, erleuchtete Wesen, die sich gängigen Normen und sozial akzeptiertem Verhalten entziehen und dadurch den Menschen ihre Selbstgefälligkeit und Scheinheiligkeit vor Augen führen.

Ema Datshi is the national dish of Bhutan: Chilies (as a vegetable!) in cheese sauce eaten with rice. Recipe: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKUz4OQyx4A This was lunch at the Yeedzin Guesthouse in Thimphu- Ema Datshi with red rice, chicken, potatoes, vegetables, momos and dhal Inset: drying red chilies on a corrugated iron sheet

This 54m high Buddha Shakyamuni statue towers on a hill just outside Bhutan's capital Thimphu. On our visit work on the site was still ongoing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_Dordenma_statue www.skr.de/bhutan-reisen/sehenswuerdigkeiten/buddha-dordenma

Semthokha Dzong ist the oldest dzong in Bhutan. It was built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal .

This is a rather unusual version of a cosmic mandala. Mount Meru can be seen in the middle and the movement of the planets. 10-Week Picture Projects: Shapes, Week 2: Square/Cube

Bhutan's best known monastery is at 3120m and hangs 900m above the valley floor. A steep footpath leads up to it but as we didn't have permission for a visit I only went about halfway as far as the "cafeteria". The notes show the view from along the footpath and a tele view from the cafeteria. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paro_Taktsang Bhutans bekanntestes Kloster liegt auf 3120m Höhe und klebt an einem steilen Felsen 900m über der Talsohle. Ein steiler Fußweg führt hinauf zum Kloster. Wir hatten keine Genehmigung für den Besuch, deshalb begnügte ich mich damit, den halben Weg zur "Cafeteria" zu gehen. In den PiPs eine Ansicht vom Fußweg aus bzw. eine Teleaufnahme von der Cafeteria aus. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taktshang

At Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the 108 temples said to have been built by Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century. The old man wears the traditional Bhutanese gho but his beard suggests he may be of Tibetan origin. The vest (and hat?) are obviously scrounged from Western tourists;-)

Boy in Paro Valley carrying rice straw- inspired by poly's "heavy load" www.ipernity.com/doc/polytropos/50326894

Rinpung Dzong was founded as a small fortess in the 15th century. In 1644 it was renovated and extended by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to become the administrative amd monastic centre of the western region.

Bhavachakra mandala at Rinpung Dzong The wheel of Life en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhavacakra

Good to see Ipernity back on its feet:-) HFF everybody, have a good weekend and stay safe!