greetings from thimphu!
Internet has not been available until now. In the interim I have been far and wide in the amazingly beautiful and very gentle country of Bhutan.
I wish I had been able to let you know about each day, but since that was not possible, and because today was pretty spectacular I will tell you about today.
The main monk body with the main monk ( who does have a Bhutanese moniker but I cannot spell it )returned to Thimphu, the capital, today from their winter Dzong in much more temperate Punaka. The head monk shares equal power with the king and in respect is like the pope.
The crowds started lining the street as early as 9 am although the processional was not due until around noon. Everyone was dress in their most formal, most colorful attire and lined the street for miles and miles.
When the processional arrived - they had been traveling for two days and stopping to bestow blessings in all of the villages along the way - it turned out to be 2 colorful pick ups with gold relic houses ( dont know what else to call them) festooned with lots and lots of flags and holy scarves. Dignitaries in jeeps and the buses with monks followed.
The head monk, as it turns out, was not feeling well but it really didnt matter. There were onther important monks with places holy water on every single person lined up. The scarves were also placed on the head of all. It took a couple of hours to go just a few blocks.
This all ended with a ceremony by a special sort of brilliantly colored tent. This part, we ordinary people could only see over a wall but as soon as that ended, all of the monks ( many!) processed up the hill to the dzong in a long, orderly line.
Do wish I could attach some pictures here but feel lucky to be able to do this.
Now others are waiting for the computer so I must sign off and hope there is another time before I leave next Wednesday that I can write again.
I wish I had been able to let you know about each day, but since that was not possible, and because today was pretty spectacular I will tell you about today.
The main monk body with the main monk ( who does have a Bhutanese moniker but I cannot spell it )returned to Thimphu, the capital, today from their winter Dzong in much more temperate Punaka. The head monk shares equal power with the king and in respect is like the pope.
The crowds started lining the street as early as 9 am although the processional was not due until around noon. Everyone was dress in their most formal, most colorful attire and lined the street for miles and miles.
When the processional arrived - they had been traveling for two days and stopping to bestow blessings in all of the villages along the way - it turned out to be 2 colorful pick ups with gold relic houses ( dont know what else to call them) festooned with lots and lots of flags and holy scarves. Dignitaries in jeeps and the buses with monks followed.
The head monk, as it turns out, was not feeling well but it really didnt matter. There were onther important monks with places holy water on every single person lined up. The scarves were also placed on the head of all. It took a couple of hours to go just a few blocks.
This all ended with a ceremony by a special sort of brilliantly colored tent. This part, we ordinary people could only see over a wall but as soon as that ended, all of the monks ( many!) processed up the hill to the dzong in a long, orderly line.
Do wish I could attach some pictures here but feel lucky to be able to do this.
Now others are waiting for the computer so I must sign off and hope there is another time before I leave next Wednesday that I can write again.
posted by amcam at
4:39 AM
About Anne Muller
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