On a JOURNEY with ME

  Rinpung Dzong, originally known as Rinchen Pung Dzong (The Fortress on a Heap of Jewels) and sometimes referred to as Paro Dzong is a Buddhist Monastery and fortress of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school in Paro District. It houses the district Monastic Body as well as government administrative offices of Paro Dzongkhag.  In the 17th century, his descendants, the lords of Hungrel, offered this fortress to the Drukpa hierarch, Ngawang Namgyal, the Zhabdrung Rinpoche, in recognition of his religious and temporal authority. In 1644, the Zhabdrung dismantled the existing dzong and laid a foundation of a new dzong. In 1646, the dzong was reconsecrated and established as the administrative and monastic centre of the western region and it became known as Rinpung Dzong.  Dzongs have historical, administrative and religious significances, and tourism and cultural values in the country. It is important for every Bhutanese citizens to know why dzongs are important and how thes...

Ugyen Guru Lhakhang is a majestic temple built 2300m above sea level on a strategic location of Paro Pangbisa. It has an amazing view of the Paro valley. The basic foundation of the lhakhang took place in the 15th century by Tertoen Sherub Maybar. He visited many holy places of Bhutan, and one of the most prominent places that he founded was Pangbisa which was actually directed by his destiny of revealing treasure from Nub Tshonapatra at the age of 25. It was at Pangbisa that he could wait till he attended the age of 25 to reveal the treasure from Nub Tshonapatra (the lake that is located near Pangbisa).  Upon completing his mission Nub Tshonapatra, Tertoen then came back to Pangbisa and meditated on a huge stone. The main statue of Pangbisa was then built on the same stone where the Tertoen meditated. The main statue there is said to be the statue of 7th century st Guru Pema Jungney. Regarding the statue, the sculptures almost completed the full body of the statue but unfortunatel...

The picture above is during the Teaching Practice, 2021 at Hebesa Primary School, Wangdue Phodrang.  It was when I was teaching one of the topics in English in grade 3, 'Zedd's Bread' that we decided to have a hands-on experience in baking doughnut.  Zedd's Bread was about making bread, but we decided on making doughnut. The students were so excited that they agreed to bring all the ingredients required. We talked and discussed on who all will the ingredients. On the day we were supposed to make the doughnuts, students brought more ingredients than required which showed their excitement and enthusiasm for the activity.  Preparing the ingredients, processing and finally enjoying the product was so much fun. Each student participated and there was so much interaction taking place between the students themselves and with me.   This hands-on activity was effective for the students as they could relate the story of Zedd with what they did in the class as they pr...

Dashain is celebrated by the Hindu followers all over Nepal and also in the southern foothills of Bhutan. It is the festival that brings happiness and delivers the message of unity among people. This festival signifies unity, the victory of truth, and the inception of happiness.  Dashain symbolizes the victory of good over evil. For followers of Shaktism, it represents the victory of the goddess Durga. For other Hindus, this festival symbolizes the victory of Ram over Ravan as recounted in the Ramayana. The main objective of Dashain is soul-cleansing. The festival is about individual purity, detoxification and devotion. The main objective of Dashain is soul-cleansing. The festival is about individual purity, detoxification and devotion. I celebrated Dassain in 2021 during my teaching practice at Wangdue Phodrang at my parents' old friends.  We had tika put on, and some flowers on the ears and a token of blessings from the elders (in the form of money).  After this ritual,...

If you are in Bhutan as a visitor,  you might see these pretty things with intricate designs. They look like decorations. But while these are pleasing to look at, they are actually meant to be more than just pretty. They are tormas.Tor represents detachment from desires and Ma refers to maternal.  A torma is a ritual cake. It holds different meanings. It could symbolise a deity, act as an offering, or even be used as a medicine. The tradition is popular among the Himalayan Buddhists, including the Bhutanese. The essence of torma is the  dharmadhatu  (the pure nature of the world) and  rigpa  (the pure nature of the sentient beings that inherit the world). The first syllable,  Tor , means “to throw”. The practice symbolizes generosity, hence the literal sense of “throwing out”. Furthermore, “throwing out” also refers to severing attachment from temptations and escaping the entrapment of desire. Another significance of “throwing out” is to reject  k...

   This is an activity on Solar System designed for students of grade IV. In the link below, you will be able to find a google cos in which there are activities to be carried out by the students to learn about Solar System. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ChW0tlB2kzkQpMhUaUfpYMCterBxBvlqb6T0T_tyPgU/edit?usp=sharing