2024 Road Scholar XXIV: Thimphu National Memorial Chorten (10/19/2024)

Saturday, October 19, 2024

We began the day with a lecture by a former Bhutanese
parliamentarian about the political history of the country

The country is called Druk Yul/The Kingdom of the Dragon King. Buddhism was introduced in the 9th century when many monks fled from turmoil in Tibet. In 1907, Ugyen Wangchuck was elected as the hereditary ruler of Bhutan, becoming the Druk Gyalpo/Dragon King. The third Druk Gyalpo began a program of planned development in 1952 as the country slowly emerged from isolation. He established the Tshogdu/National Assembly, a unicameral legislature. The fourth Druk Gyalpo continued modernization of the country, and after five years of research and discussion, a draft of a constitution was presented to the people, which included the National Council, making the legislature bicameral. Two years before the constitution went into effect and there were the first elections, the fourth Druk Gyalpo abdicated to prepare his son as king for the transformation to a parliamentary democracy.

What we found interesting were the criteria for a candidate standing for a national elective office: a Bhutanese citizen, age between 25 and 65 years, received no money from foreign entities, not married to a Bhutanese citizen, not convicted of any criminal offense, not in arrears of taxes, does not hold any office of profit, has at least a Bachelor's university degree, "satisfies the Commission that he/she is a person of integrity, good character and reputation." 

Men traditionally wear a gho/robe with
a thin white robe underneath where the
sleeves are folded over the sleeve of the
robe; the robe is floor-length, but is held
up with a woven belt and the extra
material above the waist acts as a pocket

Méridien Hotel (2014) in traditional Bhutanese style
that seems to include ventilation space between
the top floor and the roof

Basketball court

The top of the National Memorial
Chorten/Stupa (1974) built to honor
the 3rd king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck,
the father of modern Bhutan

Workers are cleaning the gilded brass
plates of the 13 levels that symbolize the
13 stages of spiritual development
needed to achieve enlightenment 

Gateway to the National Memorial Chorten

Gateway decoration with reliefs of the "Three Gems
of Bhutan" being: Guru Rinpoche who introduced Buddhism
to Tibet and Bhutan, the Buddha, and Shabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal, who is credited for unifying Bhutan (KSS)

National Memorial Chorten

Prayer wheels

Locals turn the prayer wheels

Pat and Jacquie turn the prayer wheels

Monks and locals take a break

Garden flowers going strong in October

Peace pole in the garden

Due to fires caused by yak butter lamps, Bhutan keeps
them in a separate building to protect the memorial chorten

Larger yak butter lamps

A pillar holding a guy wire

Boards for performing prostrations

No photos were allowed inside the chorten,
but I saw that a Buddha looks out the
highest window on the right

Painted carved woodwork
 including a ceiling mandala

Pilgrims walking the kora/pilgrim circuit
in a clockwise direction

Not every one is in traditional dress

I love this prayer wheel!

Next: Royal Takin Preserve.