On the third day of our 7 days trip to Bhutan, finally, we set out to explore Thimphu, visiting places in Thimphu. After visiting Memorial Chorten we next headed to the Buddha Point Thimphu or Buddha Dordenma – the largest Buddha Statue in Bhutan. And one of the largest Buddha statue in the world as well. As we reached the Buddha Point Thimphu through some really winding roads, we caught the first glimpse of the 289 stairs that lead up to the complex. And started contemplating on how to navigate them. But to our surprise, our drive drove right past them. And in a minute, we were at the back entry gate of the Buddha Point Thimphu. Which also acts as a convenient entry gate for tourists as they can skip the stairs at the front this way.
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Inside the Buddha Point Thimphu
Through the back entrance, we entered inside the Buddha Point campus. The first thing that caught my attention was the expanse of this campus. It is a very huge campus, surrounded by stunning green Himalayan hills on all sides. And once you have done a quick 360 degree turn taking in your surroundings, the next thing that catches attention is of course the huge Buddha Statue in the center of the complex. I caught the first glimpse of this Buddha statue from the back side, of course because we entered from the back gate.
Face to face with the golden Buddha of the Buddha Point Thimphu
We then walked towards the front to see the Buddha from the front. I must say, after visiting multiple Buddha Temples in Chiang Mai, I was still highly impressed by the golden and bronze Buddha at the Buddha Dordenma. Although it is a very recent addition to the places to see in Thimphu. As it was only constructed in 2015 by a Chinese company. Yet, there is something about this place that impresses you. And not just impresses, the tranquility of the surrounding actually touches you. For me, it was this calm and peace on the face of the Buddha as well as the surroundings that was reflecting out from all directions and perhaps reaching to me. Because, I felt at ultimate peace upon reaching here.
Although there was a list of places to see on our Thimphu sightseeing tour today. Yet, I felt no rush or no temptation to speed up. Rather, I strongly felt like sitting down quietly on the campus sprawled in front of the Golden Buddha here. And that was the first thing we did, before we explored any further. It was sunny and occasionally windy. When the wind died down, the warmth of the sun was caressing our faces. I could literally take a nap here if only time permitted. I guess this is what it feels like to be in a trance or meditate. Yes, it is actually a very perfect place for meditation.
Exploring the ornate structures at the Buddha Point
Finally we got up and took the steps up to the foot of the Golden Buddha. As you climb up, you see several animal figures on the walls up there. That are big, beautiful, and actually three dimensional popping right out of the wall!! I spotted a peacock, elephant and horse. And couldn’t help asking my guide about the significance of these particular animals engraves here. My guide told that there is a very popular story about 4 friends – the rabbit, peacock, elephant and the horse. These animals together planted a tree which grew to be very large. When the tree bore fruits, none of the animals could reach the fruits on their own. So, they climbed one on top of the other and finally, the one on top was able to pluck the fruits.
The moral of the story is simple yet powerful. What one fails to achieve as an individual, it is much easily accomplished as a community or group working together. And it emphasises on the strength that a united community can enjoy. I guess some of the animals here are taken from that folk tale.
The meditation center at Buddha Dordenma
Another flight of stairs and you arrive right below the Buddha’s statue. And you can enter inside the hall here. Alas, pictures are not allowed inside the hall, just like all other places of worship and importance in Bhutan. But, as you enter inside, you will be blown away by the beauty of the place. There are many beautiful paintings here. And over one lakh Buddha statues made of bronze in different poses, each one signifying a different thing. It’s impossible to study each one of them in just a glance. Until you have days at hand for just this!! Nevertheless, we took a round inside the hall and then came out to go back a flight down the stairs.
The beautiful fairies at the Buddha Point Thimphu
As you take the flight of stairs down, you can notice the beautiful fairies at the Buddha Point Thimphu – carved in golden, standing like guardian angles to the place. And definitely give an added charm to the Buddha Point.
Other facilities at the Golden Buddha Thimphu
Apart from the meditation hall, there is a prayer room at the foot of the Buddha Point. Which has a lot of diyas burning inside, protected from the winds. A sight which you would see at many other places of worship in Bhutan. You can offer your prayers and meditate here.
There are restrooms at the right side of the prayer complex. But I didn’t find them very clean and well maintained. However, there is one more restroom facility right outside the back door from where we entered. I hope that might be in better shape.
Drinking water is also available at the complex, on the back side.
The Natural beauty of the surroundings of Buddha Point Thimphu
A description of the Golden Buddha Point and the huge Buddha would be incomplete without a mention of it’s complimenting surrounding. As, apart from the temple itself, its location definitely adds not just to its beauty but also to it’s tranquility and the serene vibes that you get to feel here. As it is perched atop a high hill surrounded by layers of mountains on all sides. These mountains exhibit different shades of nature, from the grey brown of eroded slopes to the lush green forest covers. And we could spot some of the peaks still covered in snow although it was way into spring season now. As much time I spent visiting the Buddha Dordenma, that much time I would have easily spent admiring it’s surroundings.
The huge flight of stairs at Buddha Point Thimphu
Finally, as we completed our tour of the Buddha Point, we finally took the 290 stairs down the exit gate. Actually, it turned out that these stairs are not as scary as they looked. They are not at all steep. And very well built. So much so that even our little one could easily hop through these stairs and get down to the bottom effortlessly, happily holding our hands.
Stunning views of Thimphu from the Buddha Point
Last, but not the least, before we headed further, we stopped for a quick glance of the stunning views of the valley and the Thimphu town from up above near the Buddha Point. The town looks exceptionally beautiful from up here.
General tips on visiting the Buddha Point Thimphu
- Wear warm woollen jackets and caps covering your ears when visiting Buddha point as the winds are strong here and it can get really chilly.
- Wear dresses that cover your legs and shoulders as it is a place of worship and meditation.
- Carry good zoom camera to get the best shots at this point and also of the mountains and valleys surrounding it.
- Visit in the morning hours after it opens to avoid rush during the peak hours.
- At the time of this writing, there was no entry fee to the Buddha Point. So, the entry was free.
- You can visit here in the evening also. The place actually looks out of this world, once the lights all around and inside the premises are lit up.
- To reach Buddha Point, the best is to hire a taxi or a cab from Thimphu town itself. In fact, you could book a full day taxi and explore other places to see in Thimphu along with Buddha Point.
- For details on how to plan a trip to Bhutan, where to stay in Bhutan, what food to eat in Bhutan and any other general information on visiting Bhutan, I have compiled here a complete guide to visit Bhutan that you can use.
Here are some other resources from our Bhutan trip which you might be interested in :
Spending a day in Punakha Valley
How to obtain Bhutan tourist permit from India
Our adventure on the Punakha Suspension Bridge
Obtaining Bhutan trip permit for Indian Tourists
A day trekking to Tigers Nest Paro
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