Punakha

Punakha

Punakha town, the administrative center of Punakha dzongkhag in Bhutan. Punakha was the capital and seat of government of Bhutan until 1955, when the capital was relocated to Thimphu. The town lies at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level, and rice is the main crop grown along the river valleys of Bhutan's two main rivers, the Pho Chu and Mo Chu. Both red and white rice are grown here. Ritsha is a characteristic village of Punakha. The houses in the village are made of mud and stone, and each house is only two floors high. The houses are surrounded by gardens and rice fields. Organic vegetables in the gardens usually include fruit crops such as oranges and papayas. This village is often referred to as Bhutan's 'rice bowl'. Punakha town is home to the Punakha Dzong, the administrative center of the Punakha district. It is Bhutan's second oldest and second largest dzong, and one of the country's most majestic structures. The dzong holds the sacred relics of the southern Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, including Rangjung Kharsapani, as well as the sacred relics of Ngawang Namgyal and the Tertön Pema Lingpa.