Thimphu tashichho dzong is on the left side of thimphu river known as wangchu. The day we visited the dzong, bhutan head of religion was scheduled to visit the dzong and temple inside. Zhabdrung rebuilt the fortress in 1641 and renamed it tashichho dzong fortress of the auspicious religion. Historically and strategically this dzong withstood all its glory and was featured in 1914 vide national geographic magazine. Tashichho thimphu dzong is an amazing place to visit. Wangchuk songtsen gampo statue taksang tantric tashichho dzong tashigong temple tenzin. Jun 12, 20 the original dzong was destroyed by fire in 1771 and everything was moved to the lower one which was expanded then, and again by the th druk desi 17441763, and also in 1866. It can be accessed easily from any part of thimphu. It is the main secretariat building which houses the offices of the king and the throne room. The tashichho dzong has an interesting history behind it. An introduction to traditional architecture of bhutan. Unlike most other dzongs, tashichhodzong has two main entrances. Drukgyel dzong paro 2020 all you need to know before you.
Simtokha dzong dzong means castlemonastery also known as sangak zabdhon phodrang bhutanese language meaning. Bhutan architecture and slice of history the dzongs. In 1641 zhabdrung built the tashicho dzong fortress of the auspicious religion in place of the dho ngon blue stone dzong built by lama gyalwa lhanangpa. The th druk desi, chhogyel sherab wangchuck 174463, later enlarged trashicho dzong so that it could again accommodate both civil officials and monks. On such days, the dzong will open from five to six in the evening. National library of bhutan, thimphu history, sightseeing. The original thimphu dzong the dongon dzong, or blue stone dzong was built in 1216 by lama gyalwa lhanapa 11641224, founder of the lhapa branch of the drikung kagyu, at the place where dechen phodrang monastery now stands on a ridge above the present tashichodzong. This is a huge complex which incorporates the monastic, legal and government bodies of the country in the capital.
The original dzong or temple was constructed in 1216 with numerous renovations and expansions taking place since. Tashichho dzong in thimphu tashichho dzong thimphu bhutan. Palace of the profound meaning of secret mantras is a small dzong. History of the national library of bhutan established in 1967 under queen ashi phuntso choden, the library was the first set up in an utse of tashichho dzong. This dzong was the second to be built in bhutan and it served as the capital and seat of government until the mid1950s. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. About tashichho dzong in thimphu built on the right side of the wangchu river, the tashichho dzong thimphu is the seat of the bhutanese government since 1952. The relationship with india and the rest of the world as bhutan finds complete independence under the monarchy is also a most fascinating part of this history. We recommend booking tashichho dzong thimpu dzong tours ahead of time to secure your spot. Between 19621969, king jigme dorji wangchuck completely renovated and enlarged the dzong. He was a wise and benevolent ruler who strengthened the kingdoms sovereignty and independence by leading bhutan into the. The original dzong was destroyed by fire in 1771 and everything was moved to the lower one which was expanded then, and again by the th druk desi 17441763, and also in 1866. The aim of this book is to document traditional architecture, both religious and secular.
The simtokha dzong houses incalculable statues and works of art of different buddhas, gods and religious figures. Punakha dzong in western bhutan its often considered the most beautiful dzong in the country, it is also the most important dzong in bhutanese history. Tashichhoedzong is a buddhist monastery and fortress on the northern edge of the city of thimphu in bhutan, on the western bank of the wang chu. The thimpu dzong is the seat of the government of bhutan, as also the monastic seat, and to be able to walk through the dzong at our own pace was an experience in itself. The present fourstoried building was inaugurated in 1984, and since then, it has been preserving all sorts of religious, educational books and archives in its shelves.
One can book a cab from the paro international airport to reach thimphu. The dzong originated with the building of the dhongon blue stone dzong but during the 17th century it fell in to the hands of zhabdrung after the followers of lama gyalwa lhanangpa were defeated by zhabdrunig ngawang namgyal. The upper dzong was eventually destroyed by fire in 1771 and the lower dzong was expanded before also suffering a devastating fire in 1866. Drukgyel dzong paro 2020 all you need to know before.
Dzongs also served as administrative centres and as houses for the clergy. Such setbacks are not unusual in the history of a dzong, and the lower dzong was rebuilt, before suffering damage in two further fires and the deadly earthquake of 1897. Perched majestically on the western bank of the wangchu riverwith a commanding view of thethimphu valley, the tashichho dzong or thimphu dzong is known as the the fortress of the auspicious religion. Visit tashichho dzong thimpu dzong on your trip to thimphu. An important historical monument and former buddhist monastery, today it houses one of the. Trashi chho dzong thimphu, bhutan attractions lonely planet. I sincerely hope that this exhaustive documentation of an important facet of bhutanese culture will serve both as a record of past achievements and as a guide and encouragement to future creativity. Another structure known as the lower dzong was built in the year 1641 by zhabdrung ngawang namgyal. It was then rebuilt in 1641 and called the tashichhodzong. Known as the fortress of the glorious religion, tashichho dzong is located on the west bank of wangchhu river. Dzong architecture is a distinctive type of fortress wylie.
Another fascinating part of the dzong is that it contains the bed assemblies of both zhabdrung ngawang namgyel and jigme namgyel two of. Tashichho dzong is located by the wang chhu river in thimphu, bhutan the tashichho dzong is located at chhagchhen lam and placed on the right side of the flowing river, wangchhu. Sep 22, 2016 punakha dzong in western bhutan its often considered the most beautiful dzong in the country, it is also the most important dzong in bhutanese history. Painting and wood work windows at tashi cho dzong, thimphu, bhutan tashicho or tashichho dzong is the most respectful dzong in thimphu interior of. Tashichho dzong is a remarkable architectural structure and is located near the thimphu town on the west bank of wangchu river and offers magnificent view. The architecture is massive in style with towering exterior walls surrounding a complex of courtyards, temples, administrative offices, and monks accommodation. The impressive structure with white washed walls, golden, red and black wood and lush gardens on a backdrop of blue sky and flourishing green valleys, emanates a look of splendour. The daga dzong used to be the office of the daga penlop who held the rank of cabinet minister under the desi temporal ruler system of government introduced by the zhabdrung.
Jun 27, 2012 this was the first dzong we visited and were fascinated by the very size of the structure. Tashichho dzong, thimphu, bhutan history, at night, timings. Dzong was built by shabdrung ngawang namgyal to commemorate the victory over the tibetan invaders in1644. Dzong architecture project gutenberg selfpublishing. Built on the right side of the wangchu river, the tashichho dzong thimphu is the seat of the bhutanese government since 1952. Drukgyal dzong amazing untold history 2020 travel tips. If the dzong is built on the side of a valley wall, a smaller dzong or watchtower is typically built directly uphill from the main dzong with the purpose of keeping the slope clear of attackers who might otherwise shoot downward into the courtyard of the main dzong below see image at head of article.
They move to their winter resident in november at punakha dzong. Tashichhodzong was relocated to its present site and rebuilt to accommodate both the civil officials and monks. The punakha dzong standing by riverside is more than the landmark and administrative center of punakha, but also the winter residence of the central monastic body and one of the top favorite attractions in bhutan. Punakha dzong is arguably the most beautiful dzong in the country, especially in spring when the lilaccoloured jacaranda trees bring a lush sensuality to the dzong s characteristically towering whitewashed walls. Visit tashichho dzong thimpu dzong on your trip to. Punakha dzong is arguably the most beautiful dzong in the country, especially in spring when the lilaccoloured jacaranda trees bring a lush sensuality to the dzongs characteristically towering whitewashed walls. Tashichho dzong or fortress of the glorious religion popularly known as thimphu dzong is one of the impressive attractions in thimphu where houses the throne room and offices of bhutanese king on the right side of the wangchu river. Je khenpo chief abbot and eight lopens along with monks live here from may. Punakha was the capital of bhutan from 1637 to 1907, and the first national assembly was hosted here in 1953. You get to know the history of bhutan and some more interesting facts about the. Book your tickets online for tashichho dzong thimpu dzong, thimphu. This photo shows tashichho dzong built in the th century ce.
Thimphu dzong is open for the public to visit only when the king is not inside the premises. Tashichho dzong stands on the left side of the thimphuwang chhu. According to some sources, the origin of the tashichho dzong was dhongen. Tashichho dzong thimphu also known as trashi chhoe dzong, seat of bhutans government and national assembly is one of the most splendid and impressive of all bhutan dzongs. Drukgyel dzong is one of the monuments nearby paro. According to some sources, the origin of the tashichho dzong was dhongen dzong blue stone dzong builtin 1216 on the. It was built in 1629 by zhabdrung ngawang namgyal, who unified bhutan. Book your tickets and tours online for tashichho dzong, thimphu. The former was a thinker, innovator and visionary whose ideas were far ahead of his times. Shabdung nawang namgyal shabdung rimpoche shidhar sikkim sindhu raja sir ugyen wangchuk songtsen gampo statue taksang tantric tashichho dzong tashigong temple tenzin thimphu. King jigme dorji wangchuck had it completely renovated and enlarged over five years after he moved the capital to thimphu in 1952 in traditional style using. Tashichhodzong thimpu tashichhodzong thimpu bhutan. Little did we know then that the dzong at thimpu is perhaps the smallest of them all. It was constructed in 1216 ad by lama gyalwa lhanangpa on the same site where dechen phodrang now stands.
This was the first dzong we visited and were fascinated by the very size of the structure. Visitors on a shoestring budget can travel on local buses plying from thimphu to tashichho dzong. The original dzong was destroyed by fire in 1771 and was abandoned in favour of the lower dzong, which was expanded. Roofed cantilever bridges are common around dzongs in bhutan and they exude the historical and architectural heritage of bhutan. Zhabdrung managed to unify most of western bhutan by mid17 th century but the central, eastern and southern parts still remained so he deputized dronyer druk namgyel to. Traditional bhutanese painting stock photos and images. The nearest airport to tashichho dzong is the paro international airport which lies 54 km away from thimphu and takes around 45mins to 50 mins to reach tashichho dzong.
Bhutan architecture and slice of history the dzongs ease. Do you need to book in advance to visit tashichho dzong thimpu dzong. The fortress is also known as thimphu dzong, and the site has been witness to crucial moments in the history of bhutan. Tashichho dzong thimpu temple on the western bank of the wang chu river in thimpu, bhutan has been the seat of bhutans civil government since the country united with the creation of a monarchy in 1907. See all 55 tashichho dzong thimpu dzong tours on tripadvisor.
Drukgyal dzong, with a delightful village nestling at its foot, was built in 1646 by zhabdrung ngawang namgyal to commemorate his victory over the tibetan invaders. Tashichho dzong history timing entry fee of tashichho dzong. Known as fortress of the glorious religion, or popularly known as thimphu dzong, is an impressive structure that houses the bhutanese government and stand on the right side of. It has traditionally been the seat of the druk desi. Currently, tourists who plan to visit punakha dzong have to transfer in paro, for paro is the location of the only international airport in bhutan and there is no airport serving punakha. Tashichoedzong, meaning the fortress of auspicious doctrine has traditionally been the seat of the dharma raja and summer capital of the country. May 23, 2016 tashichho dzong thimphu also known as trashi chhoe dzong, seat of bhutans government and national assembly is one of the most splendid and impressive of all bhutan dzongs. Tashichho dzong is decorated with an illustrious history, glorifying. May 14, 2017 tashichhoedzong is a buddhist monastery and fortress on the northern edge of the city of thimphu in bhutan, on the western bank of the wang chu. Trashi chho dzong thimphu, bhutan attractions lonely. Tashichho dzong is a buddhist monastery and fortress on the northern edge of the city of thimpu, which serves as the summer capital of the asian kingdom of bhutan. Major portion of dzong was destroyed and reconstruction work is under. Other government departments are housed in buildings nearby.
Tashichho dzong has been the seat of the government since 1952 and presently houses the throne room and offices of the king, the secretariat and the ministries of home affairs and finance. The original thimphu dzong was built in 1216 by lama gyalwa lhanangpa, above the present dzong, where dechen phodrang now stands. A smaller monastery was built at the original site and renamed dechhenphodrang. Punakha dzong, the greatest dzong in bhutan unusual traveler.
Dzongs were frequently built on a hilltop or mountain spur. Tashichho dzong, thimphu, bhutan tourist information. Punakha dzong is located at the confluence of mochhu river and pochhu river in punakha valley with an elevation of 1,463m. Foreword the late king of bhutan, his majesty jigme dorji wangchuck, and the late prime minister of bhutan, lonchen jigme palden dorji, were the two main architects of modern bhutan. Tashichho dzong, thimphu, bhutan history, at night. Tashichho dzong thimpu dzong in thimphu, july 2016 22. Wellknown as the second oldest and largest dzong of bhutan with more than 300 years history, punakha dzong was initially built by ngawang namgyal, 1st zhabdrung rinpoche in 1637. Mar 27, 2017 thimphu tashichho dzong is the summer resident of bhutans central monastic body. Thimphu dzong trashichodzong bhutan travel druk asia. Such setbacks are not unusual in the history of a dzong, and the lower dzong was rebuilt, before suffering damage in two further fires and the deadly earthquake. And this we were able to figure out only after reaching the gates of the dzong. Tashichho dzong thimphu bhutan illustration ancient history.
Simtokha dzong was built in 1629 all you need to know. Tashichho dzong fortress one of the popular and biggest landmarks in thimphu, the tashichhodzong stands tall two kilometers away from the main town. Tashichho dzong, thimphu ticket price timings address. A history of entangled relationships with tibet, the author makes it very clear that in terms of identity it is wrong of the west to conflate bhutan with tibet. That dzong itself suffered a fire in 1866 and twice since then. Tashichho dzong was renovated and expanded by king jigme dorji wangchuck after bhutans capital was moved to thimphu in 1952.