Punakha

Punakha

Introduction

Punakha was the ancient capital of Bhutan (the government moved the capital to Thimphu in 1955) and is located in the central-northern part of the country at an altitude of 1,300 meters.

The majestic Punakha Dzong (sPu-na-khardzong) is the second-largest dzong in Bhutan, built in 1657, and is located at the confluence of the Pho-chu (“Male River”) and Mo-chu (“Female River”).

It is said that Guru Rinpoche once prophesied: “A man named Namgyal will build a fortress on a hill shaped like a sleeping elephant.” In the 17th century, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal came to Punakha and discovered a hill that closely resembled a reclining elephant. He built the dzong at the tip of the elephant’s trunk (the lowest point of the hill), fulfilling the thousand-year-old prophecy.

Highlights

Punakha was the ancient capital of Bhutan (the government moved the capital to Thimphu in 1955) and is located in the central-northern part of the country at an altitude of 1,300 meters. The majestic Punakha Dzong (sPu-na-khardzong) is the second-largest dzong in Bhutan, built in 1657.

 Thimphu, Bhutan