I was extremely fortunate to travel in the hidden kingdom of Bhutan, or Druk, in the last month of 2024 with one of my closest friends. This country, which has fascinated men for long, remains one of the most unknown lands in the world, and continues to maintain its sanctity from the perils of over tourism and over population.
The dragon kingdom, as the West likes to call it with either a lack of endearing kindness or dangerous sarcasm, is a tranquil nation made up of people who value peace over ambition and consists of perhaps the most scenic landscapes one sees in all the trans-Himalayan regions of Asia.
In this post, I take a photo journey across Druk’s capital town of Thimphu, whom the essayist and travel writer Pico Iyer covered on foot all over the course of just an afternoon in 1986. Much had changed, as I was to discover, in the following thirty-eight years.
Simtokha Dzong heralds your arrival in Thimphu, and is seen here located on the top of a hillock.
Cars parked in unision in the main street of Thimphu abutting the Clock Tower.
Thefreezing temperatures force one to take refuge in a coffee shop for a cup of hot chocolate, and there is seldom a better coffee shop in Thimphu than Ambient Cafe.
A group of young monks, or lamas, taking their annual examinations outside Simtokha Dzong.
Hunched over their answering sheets, the young lamas do not fail to pay heed to the stunning scenery all around.
The memorial Chorten in Dochu La pass, the highest motorable pass in Bhutan, lies less than hour outside of Thimphu, and was built by the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck praying for the safety of her husband, the King Jigme Singye Wangchuck during the third Duars war in 2003-04.
The third Duars war, fought between Bhutan’s army and Assam’s liberation terrorists, called the ULFA, ended with few casualties in the former’s side, and was personally attended to by the then-king Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the father of the present king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
The valley of Thimphu, as seen at twilight.
The modern marvel of the Golden Buddha Dordenma statue, where Sakyamuni is shown in a female avatar.
Parting glances with Thimphu is not easy, especially when one encounters such landscapes.
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