Bhutan10 Thimphu

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2. Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked country in Asia. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is geopolitically in South Asia. Thimphu is its capital and largest city

3. Tashichho Dzong, also called the "Fortress of the Glorious Religion," is the powerhouse and administrative building of Bhutan. Apart from the throne room and offices of the King of Bhutan, as an administrative building, it houses the Central Secretariat, the offices of the ministries of Home Affairs and Finance. It was first constructed in 1216 A.D. by Lama Gyalwa Lhanangpa where Dechen Phodrang now stands above Thimphu

5. In 1641 the Tibetan Buddhist lama (and the unifier of Bhutan as a nation-state) Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, acquired it but finding it too small, he built another one, known as the lower Dzong

6. The original dzong was destroyed by fire in 1771 and everything was moved to the lower dzong

7. According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition based on the lineage texts regarding prayer wheels, spinning such a wheel will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers

10. The main structure of the whitewashed building is two-storied with three-storied towers at each of the four corners topped by triple-tiered golden roofs. There is also a large central tower or Utse The Utse, or Central Tower

11. The Utse, or Central Tower

12. The new building was later expanded several times over the years. It was damaged during an earthquake in 1897 and rebuilt in 1902 The Utse, or Central Tower

13. King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck had it completely renovated and enlarged over five years after he moved the capital to Thimpu in 1952 in traditional style using neither nails nor written plans

14. Only the central Utse tower, the Lhakhang Sarp (new temple), and main Gönkhang (protector temple) remain from the earlier Dzong

16. Bhutan, “Land of the Thunder Dragon,” had a cautious approach to tourism in the past, but has recently opened its doors wider

23. Dzongs in Bhutan were built as fortresses have served as religious and administrative centers since the 17th century

24. Throughout its history, Bhutan has mainly followed the Tibetan tradition of  Buddhist architecture

25. The Driglam Namzha codifies the traditional rules for the construction of the dzongs as well as ordinary buildings

27. Under the direction of an inspired lama  the fortress is constructed by citizens who historically participated as part of their tax obligation to the state

28. Modernly, however, traditional structures are built by wage laborers, straining the government's ability to repair and preserve dzongs in particular

29. Traditional architecture remains alive in Bhutan. As recently as 1998, by royal decree, all buildings must be constructed with multi-coloured wood frontages, small arched windows, and sloping roofs

30. No plans are drawn up, nor are nails or iron bars allowed in the construction

32. Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visiting Tashichho Dzong,

33. Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is shown around the Tashichho Dzong Temple by Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck

34. Dzongs comprise heavy masonry  curtain walls surrounding one or more courtyards

37. Culturally and spiritually, Bhutan is a profoundly rich country where human relations and Buddhist beliefs outweigh economic indicators—where “gross national happiness” is promoted by the King of Bhutan as a measure of his enchanting country’s progress

38. Bhutan’s Buddhist faith permeates all strands of cultural, ethical, and secular life, bringing with it a reverence for Bhutanese society, the environment, and the land. Buddhists believe in preserving nature and giving more back to the earth and the culture than one has taken

40. The rooms inside the dzong are typically allocated half to administrative function (such as the office of the penlop or governor), and half to religious function, primarily the temple and housing for monks

41. This division between administrative and religious functions reflects the idealized duality of power between the religious and administrative branches of government

42. Guru Drakpo, Yab-Yum (English: the Wrathful Teacher, Father-Mother): fearsome form of Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava according to the Revealed Treasure Tradition of the Nyingma School

43. A precious culture perched on the fragile edge of the Himalayas, Bhutan is a land that has long cultivated fantasies of Shangri-la.  Bhutan is called “Drukyul” or the Land of the Thunder Dragon by speakers of Dzongkha, its obscure language. Guru Drakpo

44. Bhutan is well known for its vigorous efforts to preserve its Buddhist heritage and traditional culture, which remain vibrant today

45. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Dragon King, 36, and the Dragon Queen, 25– who both studied in England before ascending to the throne in the small Himalayan nation– in front of the Utse of Tashichho Dzong Temple

46. Generally, smaller windows are built into lower floors, with larger windows on upper levels to add to structural soundness

47. Windows are most often decorated with a curved trefoil (horzhing) motif Lamas were blowing the giant horn

48. Sloping, wooden-shingled roofs are pitched but lack rain gutters; there is a growing trend toward metal shingles for their durability

49. Traditional roofs are adorned by a wooden cornice. There is usually a large space left between the roof and walls for air to pass

50. Mural paintings The Kalachakra is a term used in Vajrayana  Buddhism that means wheel of time or "time-cycles". "Kālacakra" is usually used to refer to a very complex teaching and practice in Tibetan  Buddhism. Although the teaching is very advanced and esoteric, there is a tradition of offering it to large public audiences