Bhutan Snapshots

from the monastery guesthouse

Bhutan has intensely dense forests since most of the winds bred on the Bay of Bengal collide with the Bhutan side of the Himalayas.

bhutan, originally uploaded by retlaw snellac.

On the way between Trongsa and Zhemgang.

A picture of phalluses painted on the side of houses is quite a common site in Bhutan. The phalluses are that of the Divine Madman and recall his legendary sexual exploits, thereby serving as a symbol of fertility. The phallus is not considered objectionable in Bhutan. Indeed, the phallus may date to Bhutan's ancient Bon religion, adopted from Tibet long before Buddhism.