Things to Do in Paro

Located above RinpungDzong, National Museum of Bhutan was established in 1968 in the renovated building of the ancient Ta-dzong, a 17th-century watchtower.A cultural museum in Paro in western Bhutan, it was constructed under the patronage of His Majesty, the King JigmeDorjiWangchuck, the third King of Bhutan. Opened in 1968, some of the most exquisite pieces of Bhutanese art, including absolute masterpieces of fine art, bronze statues and paintings are housed here, elegantly on display in aesthetical arrangements.

The National Museum of Bhutan possesses, today, over 3,000 works of Bhutanese art, spanning over 1,500 years of Bhutan's cultural heritage, making it a major attraction for visitors with its rich treasury of creative traditional artefacts. The museum is one of the few educational institutions that interpret the history and culture of Bhutan through its exhibits, conducting symposiums, publication of research findings and conservation of artefacts that track the country’s transition from the Stone Age to a modern Mahayanist Buddhist and multicultural kingdom.

You will also find Bhutanese textiles, jewellery and handicrafts sections as well as galleries of stuffed animals and butterflies. The hall of stamps hereis renowned and displays of 3-D stamps, silken stamps, record stampsand the famous triangular stamp depicting the yeti are the most popular. The top floor of the Museum is a chapel containing a Buddhist “tree” depicting the primary figures of the four religious schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Designed with connoisseurs, scholars and tourists in mind, its unique character is complemented by the panoramic views over Paro Valley. The preservation of Bhutanese cultural values is one of the Nine Domains of Gross National Happiness, the Bhutanese philosophy for national development, as enshrined by the Bhutan National Museum.

Drukgyal Dzong, now in ruins,used to be a fortress and Buddhist monastery, and is considered one of the most significant archaeological sites in Bhutan. Located in the upper part of the Paro valley, the Dzong was built by Tenzin Drukdra in 1649 at the behest of Shabdrung Ngawan gNamgyal, the lineage holder of Drukpa-Kagyud school of Buddhism, who came to Bhutan in 1616 escaping the conflict over recognition of his religion. Also said to be the unifier of Bhutan, most of his structures served defence as well as religious and administrative purposes.

The Drukgyel Dzong, however, was built solely for defence purposes, to commemorate the victory of the Bhutanese over the combined Mongolian and Tibetan armies.

The ruins of the Dzong are comparatively well preserved, giving visitors a basic structure of the complex due to the stone and rammed-earth walls which are still standing, despite the absence of timber components like window frames and ceilings. This lends us insight into defence practices of a bygone era in Bhutan.

The central tower building, or the Utse,used to house a shrine of guardian deities, and Shabkhor, rectangular buildings surrounding the courtyards form a distinct design. Secret underground tunnels were used to fetch water from the river below the hill in addition to being used as a passage for troops during warfareapparently existed within this dzong. At present, there are cylindrical tower buildings called chu-dzong (water fort) interconnected by paths enclosed by defensive walls.

While there is limited access into the fort due to safety concerns, this is worth a visit because of the picturesque surroundings in which it is set. Relatively unconventional compared to most other ancient Bhutanese structures, the view from this vantage point is striking and you can see the ChomolhariMountain from here.

There is an intriguing Bhutanese belief that the two orange trees in Kyichu Lhakhang’s courtyard bear fruit throughout the year. According to traditional mythology,the temple, along with JampeLhakhang in Bumthang, were chosen by the 7th century Tibetan King SongtsenGampo to tame a huge demoness obstructing the spread of Buddhism, over an extensive area. He is said to have multiplied himself and then spread out his emanations to different places to build 108 temples in one day to each of her joints, thus cornering andimmobilizing her. Of these, 13 were the most important, representing anatomical parts of the demoness that JampeLhakhan is targeting, of which KyichuLhakhang is on the left sole of the demoness, built on the so-called‘extremities’ of the Tibetan sphere of influence.

The KichuLakhang or the Jowo Temple of Kyichu is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, and it is believed that Guru Rinpoche himself visited here and concealed many a spiritual treasure. The inner hall of the KyichuLakhang contains one of the valley’s most precious treasures: an ancient,original statue of JowoSakyamuni dating back to the 7th century, believed to be cast around the same time as its counterpart in Lhasa, Tibet. The temple also contains large statues of Guru Rinpoche and Guru Kurukulla, towering at a height of 5 metres. This is one of the few places you will find prayer wheels in stunning cobalt blue and there is also aschorten containing the ashes of DilgoKhyentse Rinpoche, a revered Buddhist teacher cremated in 1992, located here.

A Guru Lakhang structure was built next to the old Jowo Temple in 1971 by Her Majesty KesangChodenWangchuck,the Queen of King JigmeDorjiWangchuck under whose patronage the annual rites of the deities Vajrasattva, PalchenHeruka, and Vajrakilaya have been held in this temple ever since, for the well-being of the country.

Legend has it that Guru Padmasambhava, popularly known in Bhutan as Guru Rinpoche flew to this special monastery on the back of a tigress in the 8th century when it was abound with evil spirits. He spent three months thereafter deep in meditation here and thus, the TaktsangGoemba or the Tiger’s Nest Monastery has been sanctified by Guru Rinpoche, consecrated to tame the tiger demon. Today, it is regarded as an unofficial symbol of Bhutan and is one of the most sacred religious sites in the country.

Clinging onto a cliff, hovering above a gorgeous forest of blue pine and rhododendrons, this awe-inspiring monastery really makes you work to get to it – but it is very rewarding at the end. Located at the height of 3,000ft, it is highly recommended that you endeavour this journey with a tour guide familiar with the area, who can obtain the standard permit required for entry into the monastery. Also keep in mind your physical limitations and the fact that it is important to get acclimatised to high altitudes before attempting the journey, so try spending an entire day in Paro first.

 A pony can be arranged up till the cafeteria for those who require it, and from that point onwards, there is another steep walk and then a flight of narrow stairs until the grand Monastery itself. Otherwise, the trek may take two-three hours and you will find charming chortens and streams along the way as the Monastery at the stop grows closer to you. The view from the top is truly unparalleled so persevere through the trying trek to get to the top.

The first monastery here was constructed in 1692 at the order of Tenzin Rabgye, the ruler of Bhutan from 680 to 694 and in 1998, a tragic fire destroyed most of the original buildings, but great effort has been put in to restore them to their former glory.

This is cited to be the place where Guru Rinpoche brought Buddhism into Bhutan, imparting to it immense religious value.

The ParoDzong is commonly referred to as the RinpungDzong, and is a fortress-monastery commanding the view of theParo valley, as though pondering over its long, tumultuous history. Guru Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche initially built a monastery here towards the beginning of the tenth century, the size of which was increased in 1644 by NgawangNamgyal on the old foundations to an imposing five-story structure. This served for the following centuries as a clever and effective defence point against invasion attempts by the Tibetans.

Below the dzong, a traditional wooden bridge called NyamaiZam spans the ParoChhu, a reconstruction of the original, which was washed away in a flood in 1969. This bridge also served important defence purposes as ealier versions of it were removed in time of war to protect the dzong. The most picturesque views of ParoDzong are taken from the west bank of the river.

The ParoDzong’s alternative name comes from the fact that it is built with stones instead of clay, as Rinpung literallytranslated into ‘heaps of jewels’. The structure survived the 1897 earthquake but the fort and all its jewels, however, succumbed to a fire in 1907, leaving only one thangka, known as Thongdel, intact. The Dzong was then rebuilt by the PenlopDawaPenjor after the fire.

Today, it houses fourteen shrines and chapels within its premises. The courtyard inside the fortress is used for ParoTsechu, one of the most important Bhutanese festivals. The dzongalso has a priceless collection of sacred masks and costumesand the beautiful prayer wheel out front incredibly beautiful. Some relics preserved here date back several centuries, while others were contributed by DawaPenjor and his successor PenlopTsheringPenjorrecently. Like most dzongs, this one too houses both members of the monastic body (about 200 monks) as well as government offices.

above the Dzong stands an ancient watchtower called Ta Dzong which has been the National Museum of Bhutan since 1967.

Tuck yourselves in your warm clothes for this one; you’ll be able to feel the temperature drop as you gain altitude over the course of your two-hour thickly-forested drive from Paro. In winters, you will come across waterfalls, frozen rivers, alpine flowers and snow on the way to the pass.

The Chele La Pass is one of the highest vantage points in Bhutan, from which you can marvel at commanding views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains and valleys while the Himalayan yaks grazing in the horizon, dotted with electricity pylons. A 2-hour drive from Paro takes you to one of the highest vantage points, Chele La Pass. A botanical paradise, you’ll also be able to spot sacred mountains Jomolhari and Jichu Drake as cascades of wild roses, purple and yellow primulas and swathes of deep blue iris drape the forest floor.

At a height of 3,988 metres, the Chele La Pass is not to be underestimated – chilly and windy, try and make it here before packed in your warmest clothes for some of the most gorgeous views to be had in Bhutan.

This seemingly small and insignificant-looking temple is home to themajestic statue of Sakyamuni Buddha that was carried all the way from Lhasa, Tibet. The temple also houses the protector deity of Paro. As the traditional legend goes, the statue of SHakyamuni Buddha was destined for ParoDzong or RinpungDzong, behind which this temple is located, and was only placed in the JangsarbuLhakhangovernight for safe keeping. However, when the time came to transport the statue to its original destination, it proved impossible to move, thus becoming a permanent feature of the Lhakhang.

This is a good place for a quick visit, a heavyweight of spiritual significance in its own right.