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Pungthang Dewachen Phodrang (Palace of Great Happiness) or Punakha Dzong was constructed in 1637 and believed to have been completed in a two-year time period. It is also the country's most beautiful Dzong. It is the winter residence of Bhutan's Central Monastic Body led by HH the Je Khenpo.
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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
Punakha dzong is unusual in that it has three docheys (courtyards) instead of the usual two
The second courtyard houses the monastic quarters and is sepa-rated from the first by the utse, the central tower
The residential quarters of monks are located in the second courtyard
In this courtyard there are two halls, one of Ugyen Wangchuk, who subsequently became the King and another hall where the King was decorated in 1905 with the Order of the Knight Commander of the Indian Empire by John Claude White
Bhutan's most treasured possession is the Rangjung ('Self-Created') Kharsapani, an image of Chenresig that is kept in the Tse Lhakhang in the utse of the Punakha Dzong. It was brought to Bhutan from Tibet by the Zhabdrung and features heavily in Punakha's famous dromchoe festival. It is closed to the public
The Utse (central tower) is six stories high. The middle courtyard is the smallest but here is the entrance to the Utse No photos allowed inside
The utse, with temples on every floor, and superbly carved windows and doors
During the Tshechu (festival), the Thongdrol, a giant wall painting is displayed in the third courtyard on the face of the tower
The entranceway to the third courtyard is through the narrow corridor between two buildings
The third Dochey (the Southernmost courtyard of Punakha Dzong) is the most important one
Machey Lakhang ('machey' literally means "sacred embalmed body”) in the third courtyard is the temple where the remains of the terton, Pema Lingpa, and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal are preserved. This Lakhang was rebuilt in 1995.
The Zhabdrung died in Punakha Dzong, and his body is still preserved in the Machey Lhakhang. The casket is sealed and may not be opened
Other than two guardian lamas, only the king and Je Khenpo may enter this room. Both come to take blessings before they take up their offices
With a push of one's hand the prayer wheel cylinder whirls. Each revolution counts as an uttered prayer
Kuenrey, the majestic congregation hall, the 'hundred-pillar' assembly hall (which actually has only 54 pillars)
The exceptional murals, which were commissioned by the second druk desi, depict the life of Buddha
The massive gold statues of the Buddha, Guru Rinpoche and the Zhabdrung date back to the mid-18th century, and there are some fine gold panels on the pillars
The elaborately painted gold, red and black carved woods here add to the artistic lightness of touch, despite the massive scale of the dzong
In the main, Buddhism practised in Bhutan has origins in Tibet and follows the Vajrayana or Mahayana branch of Buddhism as opposed to Sravakayana, which is more common in India or Theravada Buddhism which is more widely practised in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. Buddhist monks in Bhutan follow the teachings of the Kagyu school of Mahayana Buddhism
