With trumpets blaring above him, this boy looks out over the Yakchoe Festival in the courtyard of the Ura Temple.  There, costumed monk dancers wear carved wooden masks and elaborate brocade costumes to reenact episodes from Buddhist history.  Festivals are very important regional events--one can be found in every district throughout the country.  These windows are typical of Bhutan’s architecture, which uses only hand-carved beams and moldings.  (Imagine yourself using an ax to turn the trunk of a pine tree into a square support beam!)  National laws preserve this ancient style and new homes and buildings must meet strict codes that set forth patterns and materials.

Wherever one travels in Bhutan, a holy place is nearby. Within the walls of the mightiest dzong or the prayer room of the simplest farmhouse, flickering butter candles light the path to heaven for departed souls and send a continuous fragrant stream of prayers to the deities. Some candles are made from clarfied yak butter called ghee, and are considered a symbol of purity, reserved for the holiest of ceremonies.  Lighting butter lamps also signifies that no matter how difficult a problem one faces in life, through the light of Buddhism, one can find their way through the darkest of times.

This chorten near Bagany, on the road between Thimpu and Tango Monastery, houses two massive Chukhors - prayer wheels turned by the force of water. These drum-like wheels contain thousands of the mantra Am Mani Padme Hum printed on paper scrolls. As the water turns the wheels, a continuous prayer is sent to Chenrezi, the Bhutanese God of Compassion.

The painted carving on the rock depicts Guru Rimpoche, the Patron Saint of Bhutan.