Not-so-secret diary

The Dochu La (la means pass in Dzongkha, is a mountain pass in the snow covered Himalayas within Bhutan on the road from Thimpu to Punakha.It has 108 memorial chortens or stupas known as "Druk Wangyal Chortens". It was built by Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, the eldest Queen Mother. These were built as a memorial in honour of the Bhutanese soldiers who were killed in the December 2003 military operation. The chortens are built in three layers, the first lowest level layer has forty five chortens, the second has thirty six and the top layer has twenty seven built around the main chorten.  The pass is located at an elevation of 3,100 metres that is 10,200 ft. To the east of the pass, the snow clad mountain peaks of the Himalayas can be seen prominently and among them is the Mt. Masanggang, also known as Mt. Gangkar Puensum in local language at 7,158 metres (23,484 ft) which is the highest peak in Bhutan. dochula pass covered in ice after the snowfall The weather at the pass usuall...

In Thimphu, the capital and largest city of Bhutan, a massive, golden Buddha statue sits atop in one of the mountain known as Kunzangphodrang. Its presence reflects the dominant religion in Bhutan, which is buddhism. The string of prayer flags along road sides, the numerous prayer wheels surrounding the clock tower in the center of town, in Thimphu, the small chortens (temples) and the numerous paintings and offerings on the walls of rock and cement.  place Buddha point, buddha dordenma The Buddha Dordenma is  the largest sitting statue of the Buddha, measuring  51.5 meters in height, glided in gold and made of solid bronze. Looking at the gaint Buddha statue one might think you are viewing just one buddha, but actually they are not. There are total of 125,000 miniature buddha statues, encapsulated inside of its enlightened bronze chest, of which 25,000 of them are 12 inch statues and 100,000 are 8 inch statues. Like the large Buddha, these thousands of miniature Buddhas ...

Hiding on the rooftop of the world and behind the mighty mountains of the Himalaya, Bhutan is known as the “Last Shangri La”. The country has been a hotspot especially for trekkers, because of its pristine nature, together with the distinctive culture as a Buddhist country and many secrecies remain undiscovered. Laya, Gasa The Royal Highlander Festival is a festival annually held in October in Laya, Gasa, Bhutan. Gasa is the northernmost district of Bhutan, connecting with districts of Punakha, Thimphu and Wangdue Phodrang. Gasa also shares border with Tibet to its north. The astounding region has an elevation range from 1,500-4,500m. First introduced in 2016, the festival’s goal is to share the beauty and the wonders of Gasa Dzongkhag through its nature, history and its distinctive tradition and culture and to share Gasa’s vision of “Good to Great Gasa”.  Royal highlander festival Highlanders from different parts of Bhutan come here to exchange values, knowledge, and experience re...

I will be covering the continuation of my previous post that was of Punakha dzong. Since the dzong holds very historic moments of the country, in this post i will be walking you to one of the memorable moment of the country that took place in here. The wedding of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck took place on 13 October 2011 at the Punakha Dzong in Punakha, Bhutan. The excitment and happiness on every faces of the bhutanese was unmeasurable. Those who couldn't make their way to the venue of the wedding, woke up early in the morning, and sat down infront of their Televison at homes inorder to witness the live telebroadcast of the wedding.  Royal couple The traditional Buddhist ceremony began around 8:20 am. The king wore a rose patterned yellow silk gho, and he walked into the courtyard of the 17th-century monastery in the old capital of Punakha and proceeded up the high staircase inside. A few minutes later, Ashi arrived at the end of a procession...

The Punakha Dzong is also known as Pungthang Dewa chhenbi Phodrang which means "the palace of great happiness or bliss", is the administrative centre of Punakha District in Punakha, Bhutan. The dzong was constructed by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, first Zhabdrung Rinpoche (also the founder of the country) in 1637–38.  It is the second oldest and second largest dzong in Bhutan and one of its most majestic structures. The dzong houses the sacred relics of the southern Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, including the Rangjung Kasarpani and the sacred remains of Ngawang Namgyal and the tertoen Pema Lingpa. Punakha Dzong is the administrative and the religious centre of the district.  Punkha dzong in the view of Pho chu and Mo Chu rivers The Dzong is located at the confluence of the Pho Chhu (father) and Mo Chhu (mother) rivers in the Punakha–Wangdue valley. The source of the Mo chu river is in the northern hills of Ligshi and Laya in Bhutan, and in Tibet. The P...

It was the 6th of May when i was at Paro, a valley town situated at the western part of Bhutan. Just arriving there on the day before made me feel at ease with its serene environment and a rather unique landscapes. The most striking feature that is noticed upon reaching here is the shallow valley upon which the town is situated. Since being the most easily accessible part of the country and a landscape that features remarkable plain lands; it also witnessed the only international airport and perhaps the first airport ever built in the country. Paro International Airport is the hub for Bhutan Airlines and Druk Air. Paro Airport is considered as one of the most challenging airports of the world with peaks surrounding it elevating as high as 5,500 m. Less than two dozen pilots are qualified to land at this airport. Paro International Airport, Paro. Paro also features some of the most famous religious places of the country, the most famous being the Paro Palphung Taktsang. Visitng Paro...

That one place which is always busy, hustle and bustle everywhere around. It is scary to be alone in such a place. To the down way, there is market place (which is fun actually), rikshawalas, unofficial guide which can be quite pastering at times. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience to have been there and withness one of the wonders of the world. The magical allure of the Taj Mahal draws tourists to agrafrom all over the world like the nector attracts bees. The architectural work is finest and to gaze upon such a magnificent alluring piece of art and crafts is the greatest experice. Taj Mahal Often described as the greatest monument built for love but it actually holds the memorial of tradegy. When Mumtaz Mahal, the chief consort of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, died in 1631, the heart broken emperor devoted years and considerable fortune to constructing a tomb worthy of great love. The queen was burried in a private chamber at the heart of the monument. Later, Shah Jahan was ...

 Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of Rajasthan, India. It is also polpularly known by the name of "Pink city" due to dominant colour of the city which is pink.The city is also known for its arts and crafts, which is unique and colourful. Let me walk you to the short history of Jaipur (how it got its name as pink city) . The story dates back to 1876, when the Prince of Wales visited India on a tour. For his visit, Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur commanded to paint the entire city pink since the colour symbolises hospitality. Since then to this date, Jaipur has preserved the architecture and beholds the beauty. Today, it has become the centre of attraction for tourists. There is always something to see in Rajasthan. If you are planning to visit the place, here are some places and attractions you can explore. These places are the ones which we visited.                                     ...