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Sightseeing In Paro, Bhutan

It lies in Western Bhutan at an elevation of 2280 m. As the only airport is located here, it is the gateway into this mystical kingdom. The maintourist attractions in Paro are:

  • Taktshang : or “Tiger’s Nest” is one of the most famous places to visit in Bhutan and one of the holiest sites in Bhutan. It is perched on a steep granite cliff at 2950 metres overlooking northern paro valley. The place is especially venerated because of its association with Guru Rimpoche and is believed that more merit is gained if we meditate even for a minute in Tasktshang than many months in other places. The main temple was built in 1692 and the temple was badly damaged by fire several times with the most recent one being in 1998.
  • Rinpung Dzong : or “the fortress of the heap of jewels” was built in 1646 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to defend the Paro valley from Tibetan invasion and presently it serves as central monastic and administrative seat of the district of Paro. It is one of Bhutan’s most impressive and finest examples of Bhutanese architecture. It is different for other Dzongs in Bhutan as it is in a square and the “utse” (central tower) is surrounded by the outer structure. The dzong houses one of the most sacred “Thongdrol” (meaning religious banner) about 20 sq. metres and is displayed only once a year during the Paro Tshechu (annual festival). The third king of Bhutan was crowned in this dzong.
  • Nya-mey Zam : or “the bridge with no fish” is the bridge that connects Paro town to the dzong. It is one of the finest specimens inBhutan and locals believe that if one sees a fish in the river, it is an ill omen. The earlier bridge which could be folded during war was washed away by flood in 1969.
  • Ta Dzong : Strategically located on a hill above the dzong and built in 1649 is the Ta Dzong. “Ta”means to see/watch and “dzong” means fortress. This monument served as a watch tower to the Paro Dzong. There is said to be an underground tunnel that leads to the water supply below. The structure was converted to the National Musuem in 1968. Ta Dzong holds a fascinating collection of art, relics, religious thangkha paintings, exquisite postage stamps, coins and handicrafts and a small natural history collection.
  • Dungtse Lhankhang : This temple was built by a famous Tibetan saint popularly known as Changzampa or the iron bridge builder in 1421. It is the only temple of this kind in Bhutan. It is in the form of a stupa and it contains some of the rarest and unique frescoes paintings in the region. The paintings are unique also because they depict the progressive stages of tantric Buddhist philosophy as well as the most important deities and figures of Drukpa Kagyu School of Buddhism.
  • Drukgyel Dzong : “fortress of the victorious Drukpas” was built in 1649 to celebrate Bhutanese victory over the Tibetan invasions . What stands a mere tourist spot today was once western Bhutan’s most strategic fort from which many Tibetan invasions were repulsed. Under the leadership of Zhabdrung, Bhutanese fought 12 battles with the Tibetans in different places with one being in this particular place. It was destroyed by fire in 1951, and the towering outer walls and central tower still remains an imposing sight. On a clear day, there is a splendid view of Mt. Chomolhari from the approach road to this place.
  • Kyichu Lhakhang : Consists of twin temples and the older one is one of the 108 temples built by King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet in 659 AD. This temple is deeply venerated for its antiquity and the role it plays in BhutanHistory. The construction of this temple and Jampa Lhakhang in Bumthang marked Bhutan for the first time on Buddhist map. The temple contains one of the most sacred statues of the country – the jowo which is the image of Buddha at 8years and is similar to the one which is present in the Jokhang temple in the Potola Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.
  • Kila Gompa : It is a nunnery about an hour’s walk from Chele-la, down a path through pine forest.. The gompa is nestled in a craggy patch of rock on the mountainside below Chele-la pass. Buddhist nuns spend their days in religious studies, prayer and meditation.
  • Druk Choeding : This is an ancient temple located right in Paro town. It was built in 1525 by Ngawang Chhogyel, one of the prince-abbots of Ralung in Tibet, and an ancestor of the Shabdrung, Ngawang Namgyal.