Chimi Lhakhang
A temple on a round hillock near Lobesa in the Punakha valley, founded in 1499 by the lama Ngawang Chogyal. It is tied to his cousin Drukpa Kunley, the Divine Madman, and couples come here to pray for children.
- Where
- Punakha, Punakha, Bhutan
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 27.5270, 89.8782
Get the Chimi Lhakhang stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Chimi Lhakhang. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Punakha volume with your photos and a note.
Near Chimi Lhakhang
Wangdue Phodrang Dzong 6.1 km
A dzong on a ridge above the meeting of the Punatsang Chhu and Dang Chhu, the seat of Wangdue Phodrang District. It houses a Buddhist monastic community along with district offices, and looks over the road into central Bhutan.
Punakha Dzong 6.3 km
A great dzong at the meeting of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers, built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1637 and 1638, the second oldest and second largest in Bhutan. It holds the Rangjung Kharsapani and the remains of the Zhabdrung himself and of Pema Lingpa.
Dochula Pass 13 km
A mountain pass on the road from Thimphu to Punakha, crowned by 108 memorial chortens built by the eldest Queen Mother, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. The Druk Wangyal Lhakhang stands beside them, and on clear days the view runs to the snow peaks of the Himalaya.
Dobji Dzong 21 km
A dzong on a ridge above the highway from Thimphu to Haa, a few kilometres south of Chuzom, where the Paro and Thimphu rivers meet. It now houses a monastic school of about 35 monks and appeared in the 2003 film Travellers and Magicians.
Simtokha Dzong 23 km
A small dzong built in 1628 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan, and the first of its kind in the country. It stands on a ridge just south of Thimphu and now houses an institute for the study of the Dzongkha language.
Pangri Zampa Monastery 23 km
A Buddhist monastery just north of Thimphu that serves as a college of Bhutanese astrology. Monks here study the traditional calculations used across the kingdom to read the calendar and the stars.
Chagri Monastery 24 km
A monastery high above the head of the Thimphu valley, founded in 1620 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the founder of the Bhutanese state. It is reached on foot from the road end, crossing a covered bridge over the river before the climb.
Tashichho Dzong 24 km
A great whitewashed fortress and monastery on the west bank of the Wang Chu at the northern edge of Thimphu. It was long the seat of the Druk Desi, head of the civil government, an office joined to the kingship since 1907; old British records called it Tassisudon.
More hidden gems in Punakha
Questions
Where is Chimi Lhakhang?
Chimi Lhakhang is in Punakha, Punakha, Bhutan. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Wangdue Phodrang Dzong (6.1 km), Punakha Dzong (6.3 km), Dochula Pass (13 km).
How do I get the Chimi Lhakhang stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Chimi Lhakhang and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Punakha volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Chimi Lhakhang before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Punakha volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.