Dragon Tales, DochuLa_A Heavenly Pass

Today I am leaving Thimphu and going to see the old capital Punakha which is about 70 km and would take  3-4 hours. We set off early keeping in mind the  ongoing  road repair works.Singey  was effusive as always and my history lessons continued.

After going through the slow winding mountainous road we reached  a  hilltop and a breathtaking sight unfolded .A hillock with 108 beautiful symmetric chortens or stupas enveloped in mist  looked something out of a fairy tale.DochuLa  is at a height of 3100 m and this popular tourist spot  was commissioned by the Queen Mother  as a memorial  to honor the victory of the Bhutanese army  over Indian insurgents in a military operation in 2003.Singey   told  me with unmistakable pride that the King  himself led his troops  .

DochuLa

I went up the steps and walked around the  victory stupas known as Druk Wangyal chortens.The whitewashed 108 stupas with a brick red band  and golden spire  look stunning.108 is a sacred number in Buddhism  and refers to the number of torments or defilements overcome by Buddha to attain enlightenment.

On a clear day one can see  the snowcovered peaks of the Himalaya from here.I wasn’t disappointed  . I felt the mist  enhanced the beauty and serenity of this spot.

Misty and magical

There is a temple near the site –  Druk Wangyal Lhakhang built in honor of the Fourth King.This was closed  for the public that day.

I came across a group of Chinese tourists togged up in Bhutanese  costumes and they happily posed for a group photo.

Mountains and mountain passes are considered sacred in Bhutan and I went on to circumambulate the chortens  lost in  peaceful solitude.