Heap of Jewels

One of the prominent architectural or cultural structures that you see just as your flight begins the approach for landing at the Paro Int’l Airport is the Paro Dzong.

The Paro Dzong is also known as the “Rinpung Dzong” which means “the fortress of the heap of jewels”. The site on which the Dzong was built was offered by a noble family of the valley to the Shabrung, the founding father of Bhutan.The construction started in 1644 and was completed in 1646. The fortress now functions as the administrative office of the Government and also serves as the seat of the monastic body of Paro. The Dzong consists of two courtyards with the government offices lining the first courtyard and temples and quarters of the monks surrounding the second courtyard.

As in the case of all Dzongs in Bhutan, no metal nails and blueprints were used in the construction of this massive structure. Locally available resources such as timber, rocks and mud were used for its construction.  This Dzong is also known for its wall mural of mandalas (cosmic diagrams) and other frescoes depicting Buddhist themes. The popular festival (tsechu) of Rinpung dzong is held on the 11th to the 15th day of the second month of the traditional Bhutanese lunar calendar, which usually falls on March or April according to the Gregorian calendar (2 to 6 April 2023). The Tsechu is a cultural extravaganza consisting of  a series of traditional mask dances, folk dances and traditional music. The mask dances are performed by the monks, conveying religious stories having spiritually embedded themes while the folk dances are performed by the members of the local communities. On the last day, the event commences with the unfurling of one of the largest applique scroll (thanka) or Thongdrel meaning ”liberation at sight”. The giant applique scroll made of pure silk measures 30 meters x  45 meters. The Thongdrel is 400 years old and depicts the image of the Patron Saint, Guru Rinpoche and his eight manifestations.  A Buddhist ritual and ceremony is also performed in front of the giant scroll.

A trip to the Dzong is also a great opportunity to observe the sights and life around this iconic place. A visit to the fortress and a leisurely walk across the 17th century cantilever bridge is a regular feature on all our trips.