Young Novice Monks students in grey unifiorms outside Punakha Dzong monastery . Horizontal 91596_Bhutan-Punakha
Punakha served as the capital of Bhutan until 1955 and still it is the winter seat of the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot). Blessed with a temperate climate and fed by the Pho Chu (male) and Mo Chu (female) rivers, Punakha is the most fertile valley in the country. Punakha Dzong: Placed strategically at the junction of the Pho Chu and Mo Chu rivers, the dzong was built in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to serve as the religious and administrative center of the region. Damaged over the centuries by four catastrophic fires and an earthquake, the dzong has been fully restored in recent years by the present monarch. The dzong is open for visitors during the Punakha festival (early spring) and in the summer months, after the monk body has returned to Thimphu.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Punākha Punakha Dzong western Bhutan Asia
Photo credit: © DV TRAVEL / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: architecture, asia, bhoutan, bhutan, bhutanese, boutan, buddhism, dechen, destination, dzong, gasa, holiday, lifestyle, monastaire, monastere, monastery, monastry, monk, monument, photrang, punakha, pungtang, punākha, religion, temple, tourism, tourist, travel
