Mewang Gewog

Thimphu District

Thimphu District (Dzongkha: ཐིམ་ཕུ་རྫོང་ཁག) is the most populous of Bhutan's twenty dzongkhags and contains the national capital, Thimphu. It serves as the political, economic, and administrative centre of the Kingdom of Bhutan, housing the seat of government, the royal palace, and the majority of the country's international organisations and diplomatic missions.

Bumthang District

Bumthang District (Dzongkha: བུམ་ཐང་རྫོང་ཁག) is a district in north-central Bhutan and the cultural heartland of the kingdom, renowned for its ancient Buddhist temples, sacred valleys, and deep associations with Guru Rinpoche and Pema Lingpa. With its dzongkhag capital at Jakar, Bumthang encompasses four main valleys and is one of the most historically significant regions in the country.

Jambay Lhakhang

Jambay Lhakhang is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, located in the Bumthang Valley in central Bhutan. Traditionally dated to 659 CE and attributed to the Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo, the temple was built to pin the left knee of a giant demoness as part of a network of 108 border-taming temples across the Himalayan region.

Lotay Tshering

Dr Lotay Tshering (born 1969) is a Bhutanese urologist and politician who served as the third democratically elected Prime Minister of Bhutan from 2018 to 2023, leading the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa. Known worldwide as the "Doctor Prime Minister" for continuing weekend surgeries while in office, he was the first DNT leader to hold the premiership. He holds a PhD in medicine and was appointed Governor of the Gelephu Mindfulness City in 2024.

Bumthang Valley

Bumthang is a district and valley complex in central Bhutan, often called the spiritual heartland of the country. Comprising four sub-valleys — Chokhor, Tang, Ura, and Chhume — at elevations between 2,600 and 4,000 metres, Bumthang is home to some of Bhutan's oldest and most sacred temples, as well as distinctive local industries including Swiss-style cheese and honey production.

Jambay Lhakhang Drup

Jambay Lhakhang Drup is an annual religious festival held at the 7th-century Jambay Lhakhang temple in Bumthang, Bhutan. Celebrated in October or November (on the tenth month of the Bhutanese lunar calendar), the festival is renowned for its dramatic fire ceremony (Mewang) and the sacred naked dance (Tercham), both performed at night and believed to bestow blessings of fertility and spiritual purification on participants and spectators alike.

Jakar

Jakar (Dzongkha: བྱཀར) is the administrative capital of Bumthang District in central Bhutan, often called the "Switzerland of Bhutan" for its broad alpine valleys, pine forests, and pastoral landscapes. As the gateway to the Bumthang Valley — considered the spiritual heartland of Bhutan — Jakar is surrounded by some of the oldest and most sacred Buddhist temples in the country.

Bhutan Festivals Calendar — A Month-by-Month Guide

Bhutan hosts dozens of vibrant religious and cultural festivals throughout the year, anchored by the tshechu — multi-day masked dance celebrations held in dzongs and monasteries across the country. This month-by-month guide covers all major festivals, their approximate dates (which vary according to the Bhutanese lunar calendar), what to expect, photography etiquette, and how to plan attendance.

Mewang Gewog

Mewang is the largest gewog in Thimphu District, covering 230 square kilometres with 44 villages along the Wang Chhu river valley. It is Bhutan's largest asparagus producer and has experienced semi-urbanisation due to its proximity to the capital.

Dagala Gewog

Dagala Gewog is a high-altitude gewog in Thimphu District, Bhutan, named after the Dagala Range. Known for the Dagala Thousand Lakes Trek, alpine meadows, and yak herding, the gewog covers 85 square kilometres and supports a small community of approximately 178 households whose livelihoods depend primarily on livestock.

Lhakhang Architecture

Lhakhang architecture refers to the design and construction of Bhutanese Buddhist temples, which follow prescribed principles of orientation, spatial hierarchy, and interior layout rooted in Vajrayana Buddhist cosmology. Ranging from small village shrines to grand multi-story temple complexes, lhakhangs serve as the primary spaces of Buddhist worship in Bhutan, with their altar arrangements, mural programmes, and structural forms all governed by religious convention.

Choekhor Valley

The Choekhor Valley is the largest, most populated, and most culturally significant of the four valleys that compose Bumthang district in central Bhutan. Home to the district capital of Jakar and to some of Bhutan's oldest and most sacred Buddhist temples — including Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang, and Tamshing Lhakhang — Choekhor is widely regarded as the spiritual heartland of Bhutan.