Samlha Tours & Travels

Chimi Lhakhang

The temple is located near Sopsokha village in the Punakha District of Bhutan. To reach the monastery, pilgrims and visitors must travel for 20 minutes through the lovely rice and mustard fields. According to legend, Lama Kunley defeated the demoniac Dochu La here and then consecrated the land for the Chimi Lhakhang. Drukpa Kunley was known for his humorous and outrageous methods of teaching religion. He taught Buddhism shockingly and bizarrely, with overtones of sexuality.

The original wooden phallus (erected penis) emblem brought from Tibet by Drukpa Kunley is kept in Chimi Lhakhang. Women visiting the Lhakhang seeking to get pregnant are blessed with the enormous wooden phallus. The wooden phallus, which is 25 cm (10 inches) long and has a silver handle, is also claimed to ward against evil gazes and malevolent rumors. Every home in the Sopsokha settlement, which is next to the monastery, has phalluses painted on the walls or hung on the doors.

Other places to visit in Thimphu