Overlooking the beautiful Thimphu Valley in Bhutan is one of the biggest Buddha statues in the world, the Buddha Dordenma statue. The statue celebrates the 60th anniversary of the fourth king of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
The 54-meter-high statue of Buddha, overlooking the valley, is a must-see on your visit to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. The statue of Buddha sits on a gold covered meditation hall in which there are 125,000 smaller statues of Buddha. The statue itself is made of bronze and is covered in gold. The statue fulfilled two ancient prophecies, the first being that a second Buddha would arrive to restore peace and the second one being to bestow blessings, peace and happiness on the whole world. The large golden Buddha Dordenma statue can be seen from wherever you are in Thimphu.
When I visited Bhutan in May 2016 the statue was mostly complete. Finishing touches were being put to the statue and to the large terrace in front. There was only a handful of other people at the site so I was able to wander around freely and take way too many photos like I always do. I found the large statue truly fascinating and I spent well over two hours at the site. On the terrace in front of the statue are many other statues so take some time to visit those as well once you have finished admiring the largest Buddha statue.
The external walls of the meditation hall are covered in beautiful 3D sculptures: an elephant covered in a multi-colored cloth, a half-man half-eagle character with two large gold musical disks, and a beautiful golden horse with military regalia for decoration. Take time to fully appreciate the many statues around the site and you will quickly realize how the nearly USD 100 million, as detailed here, was used in its construction.
After your visit to Buddha Dordenma statue, how about visiting the Kuensalphodrang National Park, within walking distance from the statue? Head up the trail for some fantastic views over the Thimphu Valley and back towards the Buddha Dordenma statue. If you are lucky with the weather, like I was on the day that I visited, you will have lovely clear blue sky and the chance to take some wonderful photos over the valley. Also, if you are into the hobby called geocaching, there is a geocache hidden in the hills of the National Park so be on the lookout for that while enjoying the scenery.
A visit to the Buddha Dordenma statue was one of the many highlights of my trip to Bhutan. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and spent many hours between the statue and the National Park. The Buddha Dordenma statue may be found on Google Maps here. When I visited Thimphu I stayed at the Le Meridien Thimphu Hotel. If you would like to do the same then please start your booking by clicking here.
I arranged my vacation to Bhutan with Amulet Luxury Travel Bhutan and the tour that I did, called ‘Heart of Bhutan’, many be found here. The owner of the company, Mr Tshering Tashi, has become a friend over the years and I have pleasure in recommending his company for your travels to Bhutan. The links above are offered as a gesture of goodwill to Mr Tshering for the most amazing vacation that I enjoyed in Bhutan. They are NOT affiliate links and I will not earn any commission by you booking through his company.
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(Visited May 2016)