Thowadra Nyekor

View of Thowa-Dra from the left

This year is my 11 years in Bumthang. Yet I've many beautiful and sacred places to explore. It is also true of what our local travellers were saying in their recent travel venture that Bhutan already have enough to keep us engaged both socially and spiritually. Socially because we have various groups of people dwelling in different parts of our country. They have their own distinct way of living including their dialect. Our country maybe small in size yet it is huge is culture. And spiritually Bhutan is rich. I've observed everything rooted to spiritualism. Believe it or not we even love and respect smallest of the insects to the biggest of pachyderms. Though small in size, over the past years, our country has evolved unique spiritual connection and passed onto us. 

End of road point from the bridge

Isn't it going to be a wonderful exploration in our country?

Welcome

As a spiritual practitioner myself sometimes going out of monotonous monastic life gives me some energy. Maybe I get nature's unbiased healing treatment from the jungle? I feel connected. Not always but once in a blue moon I decide to walk through the deep forest and reach a destiny where I can get blessing in return. 

On the way

On 30th Sept 2019 my friends and I visited one of the oldest temple known as Thowadra Since it was an unplanned trip we couldn't afford to include many interested friends. Nevertheless there's always next time.

Taking a rest on the way

From Chamkhar valley, on an average speed, the car managed to reach us after 2 hours drive. But I'm sure it won't take long during non-rainy days or seasons. I think we were unlucky, at least, for consuming ample of time in the bumpy ride after Tang Central School and that too in marshy road. By the way we were four and none have visited earlier. So it was obvious that we were to seek villagers help. Just before reaching Khangrab school junction we asked one man and he told us to take our car till we reach old house which would also be the last house 'coz road condition wouldn’t be better than worst beyond that point. As directed we kept driving. Since the road condition was poor we again asked another middle aged man and he told us that we were almost nearing what we were told by the first man. Like what those two man said, we approached old house but it was a complete silence at that instant. We didn't find any people in that house perhaps they’d gone for the farming work. Oh! There was an old man with rosary in his hand but I noticed that he was a blind as bat and deaf as post. We found some hope in our car that it would lead us till zero point hence continued without parking our car as suggested. It was not a worst road though rain in the previous night has ruined. In the middle of the road was hilux. We honked. Thought driver might turn-up after urinating around (whatever we expected driver would return.) Later we knew it was parked since there was slipped marks on the mud. Our car too parked behind theirs but not in the middle. I should say, we‘d some civic sense. Sorry! I didn't mean to hurt. It was gloomy weather so had to carry umbrella from that point. After walking almost ten minutes we managed to reach zero point. It was the start point of our destiny. I checked my cell phone to keep the track of time. It was 8:55 a.m. 

Birds eye view of Tang valley 

Most enchanting about jungle is you get to see exceptional flora and fauna. Frankly speaking, I thoroughly enjoy watching those varieties. 

I'm physical weak and this has always kept me behind my friends not only in walking a distance but in almost every manual work. On that day too I was behind. Thank god there was one friend and he was absolute behind me. By the way I didn't introduce any of them? So sorry. How selfish I'm. The two who leads are Jampel Yeshey and Jurmey Dorji. Those two guys walked better than us in the behind. But I'm not impressed. (I'll let you all know why I wasn't impressed in the latter part of our journey.) And the gentleman behind me is Lhakpa Tshering. It seemed to me that he couldn't walk since he do not have much experiences other than dealing with machines. Every loser gives excuses but our isn't. Any ways we rested after walking every few distances. After walking 37 minutes the first glimpse of blissful Thowadra was seen amid the giant pine tree leaves. When we walked few steps from there, it also begins different slope of the mountain assuring us to the real destiny above. Excited, at the same time I wished to reach without walking the slope. Still then my perseverance kept me going. I visualized Guru Rinpoche and Gelongma Palmo for they were the one who blessed that place long time ago and that has motivated me mentally to keep walking forward. The first door of Nye welcomes you and it is at the left side. From there onwards different Nye is seen since the concern people have put up a description in Tibetan script over the plank. When we were about to reach two men in the lead left us behind. I'd to squint my eyes to see them but in vain. They were not near two of ours short call. Lhakpa and I rested and walked steadily. Two of us reached to a point where two junction of path was there. It seemed misleading because of similar usage in both but I confidently took left. At that instant Lhakpa got a call from Jurmey which was a confirm in itself that they went into different direction. Two of us laughed. I told you in the beginning that I wasn't impressed because slow and steady wins the race. Lhakpa and I reached fast than the two in the lead. It was 11:31 a.m.

Lunch time

Finally we made to Thowadra. Gleefully we were treated with tea and biscuits by Kungyer (caretaker) and disclosed us the main religious items at his private resident. He told us the reason is because he doesn't feel safe to keep sacred thing inside temple which is also far from his house. Just seeing the sacred items I felt blessed. Indeed totally blessed. Can't express the feeling in words. Having finished the sacred watch we went to main temple and nearby surroundings to get ourselves a blessings. You'll find why it is called Thowadra when you look at Tang valley from there. The literal meaning of Thowadra is ‘high rock’ where you'll find huge rock as if dangling. Annually people of Tang comes together during Nyung-Nye, Kanjur and other religious ceremony celebrations. The place is not only a sacred because of Padmasambhava and Gelongma Pelmo. Many great lamas like Dorji Lingpa, Jigme Lingpa, Longchen Rabjam has connection here. Sorry I couldn't research more about the monastery and also the fact of Konyer without much historical information. The little information I got from friends and google.

Only time we were in one frame

While returning it didn't take more than 30 minutes till road point. With so much fun we decided to lunch at beautiful Tang valley. It was already 3:41 in the evening when we ate lunch.

Wow! What a wonderful journey. 

See you next time.