Retired Nomads Part 4: Dochula Pass, Phallus Village, Chimi Lhakhang Monastery, Punakha Dzong & Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery

Tuesday October 28, 2025

After breakfast we drove from Thimphu to Punakha on long and winding roads through beautiful scenery and prayer flags galore. If I haven’t explained these flags before, the flags are in five colors representing the natural forces, "blue (sky), white (clouds), red (fire), green (water) and yellow (earth)" and are inscribed with Buddhist scriptural prayers to usher prosperity and peace around the country.

There are also flags that just have the Buddhist symbols on them with the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum," representing the journey to enlightenment, with each syllable (Om, Ma, Ni, Pad, Me, Hum).

prayer flags up on a hill

Our first stop was at Dochula Pass where 108 memorial chortens (stupas) known as "Druk Wangyal Chortens" have been built by Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, the eldest Queen Mother. On a clear day we could have seen a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the Himalayans. The guide said clear days were rare and we were not an exception. The chortens were impressive and wandered among them and then took a path across the street from them for different views and a nice walk through the forest.

There were also a café and restrooms. The line was long for the lady’s room (of course) and two young Indian women from Kolkata and we chatted. There were 2 Western toilets and 1 squat. When it was my turn, the squat opened. One was so sweet and said she’d take it and I could have the Western one. There was a gift shop where I bought a Jangchub Chorten statue.

you can almost see the Himalayas

Druk Wangyal Lhakhang (temple) on the hill

Hoopoe (seems we have only seen them from a great distance

Jigme Singye Wangchuck Himalayan Range

We stopped at another viewpoint overlooking where we were going.

Our next stop was a nice lunch with a beautiful view.

you could own this penis for a mere $2,000 - this self-created phallus is found grown on one of the branches of a blue pine tree near Devine Mad man's temple

views from the restaurant

Before the Village visit, the guide warned that it could be very busy, and he was worried it would rain. It was a single lane road with cars going into the village and those trying to leave. Needless to say, it became a standoff. Our guide got out and tried to negotiate a way for cars to pass. He had cars pull as far over as possible and that side went and then it was clear sailing for our van. He knew that would take some time, so he had us get out and walk from there. It was nice to be out of the vehicle to get some photos of the Bhutanese village, Sopsokha. (sometimes called Yowakha)

You may notice a theme of phalluses being painted on houses and they were everywhere in stores. In Bhutan, the phallus is a sacred, protective symbol bringing good luck, fertility, and warding off evil spirits.

It is tied to the "Divine Madman" Lama Drukpa Kunley, a Bhutanese yogi and poet popularly known as “the Divine Madman” who renounced the ascetic life of a monk for a more lighthearted and fun lifestyle. He is legendary for drinking wine, being promiscuous, and using his “Flaming Thunderbolt of Wisdom” (the nickname for his penis) to strike down and subdue evil demons Although his methods are considered blasphemous and crude, he is considered Bhutan’s patron saint and one of its greatest spiritual leaders. His influence is a reminder to the Bhutanese people to have fun and enjoy life.

the backup of traffic

let no penis go unphotographed

We walked about 20 minutes from the village along the path lined with Prayer flags to the Chimi Lhakhang Monastery that went through agricultural fields of mustards and rice, fruit trees & flowers.

It is widely believed that if couples who do not have children and want them, pray at this temple and they are usually blessed with a child very soon. They had a photo book of all of the couples that had been blessed with a child and returned to have the baby named.

The monastery is the repository of the original wooden symbol of the phallus that Kunley brought from Tibet. This wooden phallus is decorated with a silver handle and is used to bless people who visit the monastery on pilgrimage. The tradition at the monastery is to strike pilgrims on the head with a 10-inch wooden phallus (erect penis).

Tashi told us that the woman is then given a giant wooden phallus to hold while walking three times around the temple, followed by more prayers. Cathy and I declined the offer. That thing was huge and heavy, and oh we don’t want any babies! It would have made for fun photos though.

We walked back to the village and had some time for shopping. I got a Fertility Phallus that says I love you on one side and the Buddha Eyes on the other.

the pathway to Chimi Lhakhang

prayer flags

views from the monastery

no photos allowed inside

pathway back to the village

the store where I bought my phallus - me in red jacket

examples of the many penis stores

Punakha Dzong was our next stop. This dzong was the second to be built in Bhutan and it served as the capital and seat of government until the mid-1950s. All of Bhutan's kings have been crowned here. The dzong is still the winter residence of the dratshang (official monk body).

The dzong is unusual in that it has three docheys (courtyards) instead of the usual two. The first courtyard is for administrative functions and houses a huge white Victory Chorten and bodhi tree.

The second courtyard houses the monastic quarters.

In the southernmost courtyard is the temple where the remains of the terton, Pema Lingpa, and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal are preserved. 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.

At the south end is the ‘hundred-pillar' assembly hall (which has only 54 pillars). The exceptional murals, which were commissioned by the second Druk Desi, depict the life of Buddha. This is the only chapel that is reliably open to visitors. Tashi took the time to explain each one of the mural scenes to us which was appreciated since our other guides hadn’t done that.

Punakha Dzong

the parking lot

Our last stop was to visit Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery to experience their prayer session. It’s a Buddhist college and meditation center for nuns. We walked around the area before we went in. We were brought a rug to sit on to watch their prayer sessions. It sounded like chanting and at other times it sounded like buzzing bees. There were also some drums rhythmically beating while they prayed with occasional bells. What an awesome experience!

Greg & Tashi

photo through the door after we left

We got checked into Dhensa Resort. There was a culture show that we caught before dinner was served. (due to the remoteness, breakfast and dinner were included at the hotel) It was a lovely, wooded area, and we would have loved another night here to enjoy the lovely patio and there were some great places to hike, but we had to pack up and drive to Paro in the morning. (there were lots of stairs, however) The room had some samples of Khabzey, traditional handcrafted cookies, which were yummy.