Chimi Lhakhang

འཆི་མེད་ལྷ་ཁང་

The 15th-century retreat of the “Divine Madman” Drukpa Kunley, drawing a steady stream of people seeking children; the village is covered in phallic murals, and it's a 20-minute walk through rice paddies to reach it.

Chimi Lhakhang sits on a small hill about 10 km south of Punakha. It was built in 1499 in memory of the “Divine Madman” Drukpa Kunley (1455–1529). This Tibetan tantric yogi, known for his unconventional, free-spirited ways and for spreading the teachings through song and sexual themes, is said to have subdued a demoness at Dochula Pass with his “blazing thunderbolt of wisdom” (the phallus), pinning her beneath the hill where the temple now stands. That is why phallic paintings on Bhutanese houses are his symbol, used to ward off evil. The temple is famous for its blessings for fertility. Childless couples, including many foreign visitors, come to have lamas bless them with Drukpa Kunley's wooden and bone phallic ritual objects, and to draw lots to choose a name. The temple's photo album is filled with baby photos sent in by parents who came back to give thanks. From the roadside village of Sopsokha, a path through rice fields and villages takes about 20–25 minutes on foot uphill. The village house walls, handicraft shops and cafés are all decorated with phallus-themed murals and souvenirs such as wood carvings and keychains. The temple is free (donations welcome) and open roughly 09:00–17:00. Photography is not allowed inside the shrine, and shoes must be removed. It is usually visited on the same day as Punakha Dzong, about 20 minutes' drive from Punakha town. Allow about 1 hour, including the walk. Note: this is a serious place of faith for locals. Photographing the murals is fine, but don't misbehave inside the temple, and the paddy paths get muddy in the rainy season.

Chimi Lhakhang

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