Architecture

The architectural forms in Bhutan are very diverse; chortens (Stupas), mani-walls, temples, monasteries fortresses, palaces and village houses compose a landscape that is unique to Bhutan.
Chortens are erected in memory of an eminent lama or to protect against evil spirits at dangerous places such as crossroads and passes. They are of three styles: huge stone chortens often whitewashed, like Chendebji and Chorten Kora; small stone chortens which are common throughout central and eastern Bhutan are often protected by a wooden superstructure; and finally, chortens whose outer structure is a square stone tower with a red stripe at the upper level and single roof, sometimes a memorial erected inside. This third kind of Chorten is primarily widespread in western Bhutan and may be an elaborate form derived from the Chorten with wooden superstructure.

Some of the Chortens are linked together by mani-walls. These stonewalls that support a multitude of stones carved with sacred formulas, either of the three protective Bodhisattvas-Chenrezi, Jampelyang, Chana Dorje- or simply with the Chenrezi’s formula, ”Om Mani Padme Hum,” from which the name mani-wall is derived. However, mani-walls also stand by themselves, without Chortens.

Wood is used plentifully in Bhutanese architecture. The windows have distinctive trefoil-shaped tops and elaborate lintels, which are painted with geometrical motifs. The pitched roof, covered with shingles weighed down with stones, is a very striking and original structure. The use of nails was unknown in olden times but has now become more common. Temples, monasteries, fortresses and houses have been, and are still, frequently destroyed by fire, they are generally rebuilt after the same mode.

Temples (Lhakhang) are usually simple one or two-storied buildings with a wide red stripe at the upper level of the walls and a gilded roof ornament. They may have a small courtyard. Inside the temple the walls are covered with paintings and pillars into antechamber and a shrine generally divide the space. These buildings seem to be one of the earliest forms of religious architecture and have survived for centuries, remaining intact into this day. Notable examples are the Kichu Lhakhang in Paro and Jampa Lhakhang in Bumthang, both said to have caretaker who belongs to the owner’s family or who is delegated by the state.

Bhutanese monasteries (Gompa) are of two architectural types: the cluster type and the dzong type. The cluster type is probably the more ancient. It consists of a core of one or two temples, around which small houses of habitation and meditation are built for the monks. Some examples of the cluster type are Dzong-drakha in Paro valley, Phajoding and Tashigang in Thimphu valley and Kunzangdra and Tharpaling in Bumthang valley. The dzong type is a monastery built like a fortress with a main tower housing many temples and a surrounding outer wall that serves as quarters for the monks. The most impressive examples of this architecture are Gangtey Gompa near Pelela Pass, Tango in upper Thimphu and Talo near Punakha, all dating to the late seventeenth century. Cheri Gompa, built in 1620 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the upper Thimphu valley, presents the characteristics of both styles with a dzong like main building and a cluster of small houses around it.

The castle like dzong, or Bhutanese fortress, with its greatly tapering walls, classic lines, large courtyards and beautiful galleries, dates back to the seventeenth century. Constructed so as to be self-sufficient and withstand Beige, its main purpose was to hold off potential attacks by the Tibetans to the north and British to the south. It can be defined as a state monastery and a district administration housed together in a fortress that is situated dramatically in a commanding position either on a hilltop or at the confluence of rivers. The solidity of the sloping white walls combines with the elegant richness of the woodwork and the aerial feature of the pitched roof to make the dzong one of the most impressive forms of architecture in Asia.
The basic pattern of a dzong is a main tower (utse) and a courtyard, surrounded by walls, that houses monk’s quarter, kitchens and administrative offices. Gasa dzong and Simtokha dzong can be given as examples; however, very few dzong’s follow this pattern. Most have two courtyards delineated by the central tower. One courtyard delineates the monastery and one the administrative section, as in Punakha, Wangdiphodrang and Thimphu dzong’s. The courtyard and the buildings may also be located on different levels and follow the slope of the hill. Paro, Jakar and Trongsa dzong’s conform to this pattern. Trongsa is the most complex dzong, with an intricate pattern of buildings, towers and courtyards.

The buildings of places seem to have coincided with the advent of the monarchy at the beginning of twentieth century. They are mainly found in Bumthang- Trongsa area and their basic pattern is very similar to that of a dzong: outer walls, in which the servants’ quarters are located, surround a main building where the master’s reside. However, because they serve a different purpose, palaces have a much less severe architecture than the dzong’s. They are profusely decorated with woodwork and numerous beautifully carved and gaily painted windows pierce even the outer walls. One upper room of the main building is always devoted to religion. This room, called choesha, is a real temple with wall paintings, alter, statues and books for the rituals. Lame Gompa, Wangdue Chhoeling and Ugyen Chhoeling in Bumthang, Kunga Rabten south if Trongsa dzong and Gangtey Palace in Paro valley are among the major palaces in Bhutan.

Village houses are not built of the same material all over Bhutan. In western Bhutan the walls are made of packed earth, while in central and eastern Bhutan, mainly stone is used. In eastern Bhutan, bamboo mats are also used to build and to cover small houses that rest on poles. However, Bhutanese houses all over the country display distinctive features: they have a rectangular shape and are two or three stories high: the upper floors are almost totally made of a framework of wood and plastered bamboo lattices: and the windows are closed from inside by wooden shutters, though now glass is common in the bigger villages. Although in olden times the framework was rarely painted, today it is more and more often ornamented by colored motifs. The roof as discussed above, is pitched on trusses and the open space between the flat top of the upper floor and the wooden shingles is used for stacking firewood and fodder. In the farmhouses, which were seldom whitewashed the ground floor was traditionally reserved for the cattle. A ladder cut out from a tree trunk reached the other floors and the walls of these floors were almost windowless. The intermediate floor, if there was one, was used to store grains, seeds and other foodstuff. The upper floor, the living quarters was divided into small rooms that had no definite function except the bathroom (if existing), the kitchen and the prayer room, which was also served as the guest room. The furniture was sparse: low tables, sleeping mats that were rolled in a corner during the day, shelves for the crockery, carpets, trunks for the valuable possessions, an alter, and one or two looms. There was a courtyard often covered on one side of the house. Nowadays, this kind of farmhouse is still found throughout the country with slight regional differences. Almost all are now whitewashed and in the towns, because the house is no longer associated with a farm, windows are located at the first floor as well. The ground floor has become servants’ quarters, storeroom and kitchen and there is a tendency to build the kitchen and the bathroom in a separate building detached from the back of the house. The ground floor can also be used as a shop.