Buddha Dordenma statue

Buddha Dordenma Statue (Front Elevation)

Kuensel Phodrang is the ruin palace of 13^th Druk Desi, Sherab Wangchuk and now it is altered into the palace of Buddha Dordenma statue, facing south Thimphu valley. The Buddha statue is stands as one of the world’s largest statues situated in Bhutan with a height of 169 feet or 51.5 meters. The world’s largest statue will house more than one lakh of Toenpa Dordenma statue painted gold. The statue is constructed on the hill of Changbangdo facing south Thimphu valley and it’s visible from any places in Thimphu. Today, this site has been much visited sites in Thimphu for recreation purposes or for viewing the entire Thimphu city.

Kuenselphodrang Nature Park

Kuensel Phodrang Nature Park was inaugurated in 2011 and opened for the public in order to recreate their tiredness and exhausts of working hard. The Park surrounds the Buddha statue. Every day, more than hundreds of visitors visit the place along with their families, relatives, friends, and loved ones. Tens and hundreds of vehicles ply to the place to offer prayers for all sorts of blessings for the future, to rejoice the outcome of their hard work, enjoy the crystal clear view of Capital City, to celebrate meeting with friends after long time, to treat loved ones with beautiful vicinity of the park under the eyes of Buddha, make commitment and promises for the near future, and other reasons too.

In the evening, after the office hours and before nightfall, the people drive in their own utility cars and reserve cabs to ply to the place. The visitor ranging from high officials and low level officials, old aged and youngsters, rich and poor, and other classes of people calmly and serenely visit the place. The students after the long hours of tiring classes for a week or two, visits the place to recreate their exhausted mind. Some few students silently go into the forest with books and study there for whole day during weekends and holidays.

Back elevation

During Duezang or auspicious days, the family and relatives, friends and loved ones trips to the site to offer their prayers to benefit themselves and all the sentient beings as a whole. Coming to the couples, they take excursion to the spot to make promises under the nostril of Buddha Dordenma statue. They also hold each other’s hands and circumambulate or walk around the statue. When the couples make promises and offer prayers for the future to come, some people offer butter lamps and feasts.

Apart from local visitors, today the site has been one of the tourist attraction places in Thimphu valley. The tourist visiting the country by any means, visit the place to view the scene of Thimphu city and also offer prayers. Most of the tourists snap the photo along with Toenpa Dordenma statue. The tourists staying in hotels and resorts in Thimphu voyage to the place to vision the night view of Bhutan’s capital city.

Side Elevation

Over the year, the place has been much cherished and exciting place in Thimphu to view the capital city. Prior to this place, the Sangaygang above Motithang has been tourist spot and local visiting place to view capital city. The people staying in Thimphu visit the place every day. The people coming from other districts in the country has keen interest to journey to the place in order to take photographs either with Capital city or Buddha statue.

There is no other option to ply to the site, except if we take walk from Changbangdo. Our journey starts from lower Chang-gaydaphu which is commonly known as Kalabazar right above Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH). It is ten minute drive from main town. The road heading to the site is wide enough and black topped which make our journey comfortable and contended.

Bird Eye view of Thimphu City from Kuenselphodrang

Road heading to Kuenselphodrang

When we reach to the site, we can glimpse the fully furnished statue seated on the three storied building visage the South Thimphu valley. The work is still under process. Though, the construction of Buddha Statue is completed but the three storied temple beneath the statue where Buddha is seated is not yet completed. The one lakh statue of Toenpa Dordenma is installing in the temple along with other thousands of statues.

Visit the place to rejoice the life under the eyes of Toenpa Dordenma. 

Complete Buddha Dordenma