"Thrue Bab" The Blessed Rainy Day...celebration.

Bhutan celebrates the "Thrue" tomorrow and all Government offices will remain closed.
During Thrue, Bhutanese believe that an elixir falls at a certain time in all water bodies. Thus, on this day all natural water is considered to be sanctifying and people are encouraged to take an outdoor bath to be cleansed of “bad deeds, obstructions and defilement and accumulated bad karma”. Some even keep clean bowls of water strewn with flowers, believing that the elixir will fall in the water.

Thrue has been a important part of our culture and a time when people in the villages take respite from their back breaking work. Its a time when families feast and merry.

I remember as a child when we were so excited to taste a different dish on this occasion. Then we have a longt list on our menu and everything is mouth watering.

Rubbing our eyes we got up at the crack of dawn and went to a near by brook to receive the "thrue". "Lucky people see river of milk" our elders said, but I never saw milk even in the pond. May be I was never lucky or I might have sinned too much. After we bathe we come home to get our warm bowl of strew and yak-butter tea. Nothing better than this day, then. After that a whole lot of grubs follow. After we have our fill we go out and play dart or hurl disc shaped stone till our arms ache.

Our elders are preoccupied with a drinking session or a game of archery. Women folks are either planning the next recipe or busy entertaining the archers with their dancing and jeering.

Today too things haven't changed much though Thrue has a modern touch. Instead of remaining home and drinking and eating now families want to go out picnicking. This day has become a time for the people living in the cities to remain home and relax. May be slowly this day is loosing its significance but still "Thrue" remains in my heart as it did before.....

Waste Not a Waste of Time.

If you think garbage is filth to be discarded then take a look at this.


Map of a Great country


Pet-bottle tower


A nice cover for your car


Something to do when they become extinct


Summer camp for a family

Tango mastery is located 14km to the north of Thimphu valley. This monastery was built on a spur resembling "head of a horse" so its name "Taa-go" horse-head.

This monastery was founded in 13th century by lama Gyelwa Lhanampa and later built in its present form by Gelsey Tenzin Rabgye (the fourth temporal ruler of Bhutan).

Today Tango is a college for higher Buddhist studies.



Hiking to Tango takes a good half day. This day hike suits variety of hikers. Experienced hikers can cover the route in less than three hours. For moderate slow-paced hikers it take over four hours.

The trail leading to the monastery passes through mixed forest of pine and oak. As the trail passes shaded area its never too hot even during afternoons.



Tango has lot to offer besides day hike. Its architecture, serene location and the beauty of the monastery is awesome.














Tango front view

A pilgrim

Traditional door knob

Mandala painting on the wall


monks making ritual cake

wood carving at the entrance




Giant prayer wheel

Tallest and the Largest statue of Buddha

The 169-feet bronze statue of Buddha Dordenma is near completion. Once complete, Bhutan will have the tallest and the largest statue of Buddha to be ever built in the world. This gigantic bronze statue will have enough space to house 17 storeys of different temples within.

The work on the bronze statue began at the end of the year 2004. This bronze statue is being built by a Chinese company based in Nanjing at the cost of US$20 million.

About 15 acres of the surrounding land will have places for restaurants, gift shops, dormitories for monks and nuns.

This will be a major tourist site in Thimphu.

A Singaporean businessman, Rinchen Peter Teo, is the main sponsor of the project.

Spring in Bhutan

In a few days winter will be finally over. The sign of the spring is in the air. The tantalizing aroma of the flowers wafts through the air and the birds singing in their "full throated-ease" is back again. There is nothing like the spring. Its already breathing life into 2010 with display of grandeur and with promises to many.

The hills will be soon covered in rhododendrons and daphne flowers. The busy bees will be ever busy again making a cozy home and gathering food for the coming winter. This is evident from a swarm of rock-bees with made a home on my ceiling a week back.




Bee hive on my ceiling


Apricot blossom