spiritual · Punakha, Bhutan
The field walk to Chimi Lhakhang
The walk starts at Sopsokha, a roadside village about 10 km from Punakha on the Thimphu road. Many houses here have large phalluses painted beside the door, and shops sell carved wooden ones. These are protective symbols linked to Drukpa Kunley, the 15th-century yogi known as the Divine Madman, who taught that they ward off the evil eye and malicious gossip. From the village a footpath crosses rice terraces and a stream, then climbs a short slope to the temple on its rounded hillock. It takes about 20 minutes.
Chimi Lhakhang was built in 1499 by Ngawang Chogyal, Drukpa Kunley's cousin, where the saint had blessed the ground. Couples who want children come from across Bhutan and from abroad. A lama blesses them by touching their heads with a wooden phallus associated with the saint, and some draw bamboo slips from the altar to choose a name for the child. Inside, there are statues of Drukpa Kunley and the Zhabdrung and a large prayer wheel. Visitors may watch quietly.
Go in the morning when the light is clear over the fields, or late afternoon when tour groups have left. Wear long sleeves and trousers. Entry about Nu 500, indicative 2026. Treat the stories with the humour Bhutanese bring to them, but treat the people praying with respect: no jokes inside, no photographs of couples receiving blessings, and walk clockwise around the temple and the chorten.
Good for
Questions people ask
Good to know
Why do couples visit Chimi Lhakhang
To receive a fertility blessing. The temple is linked to Drukpa Kunley, the Divine Madman, and couples hoping for children are blessed by a lama with a wooden phallus associated with the saint. Some draw a bamboo slip from the altar to name the child. It is taken seriously by Bhutanese; visitors should be respectful.
How long is the walk to Chimi Lhakhang
About 20 minutes each way from Sopsokha village on the Thimphu–Punakha road, through rice fields and over a small stream, with a gentle final climb. The path is easy and suits children and seniors, though it can be muddy after rain. Allow 1.5–2 hours in total including the temple.
Are the phallus paintings in Punakha offensive
They are not meant to be. In Bhutan the phallus is a protective symbol linked to the saint Drukpa Kunley, painted on houses to ward off the evil eye and gossip. Bhutanese treat it with humour and respect. Photograph the paintings if you like, but avoid crude jokes in front of locals.
