Gangteng Gompa Monastery

During our 10 day trip, we detoured briefly to the Phobjikaha Valley. Our purpose was to visit the Gangteng Gompa Monastery during it's dedication ceremony. It has recently been reconstructed by the Lama, a western educated wealthy patriarch who has used his own funds for the reconstruction. As a Lama, he is both a religious figure but also a patriarch of the local community. The Lama, Tulku Rinpoche, is said to be the ninth incarnation of the body of Pemalingpa, a famous 14th century blacksmith from Bumthang who was one of Bhutan's most revered saints and teachers. We sat with him during the ceremony and I was stunned by the procession of local folks who presented themselves to offer their regards and receive his blessing.

During my travels, I have come to understand that understanding a place involves understanding it's people. As a result, I have been consciously trying to take more pictures of people and the things they are doing. They collectively represent the texture, if you will, or the context of a place.

I had a ball here. I spent a lot of time just sitting in the plaza immersed in the event. As a 6 foot tall westerner with a giant camera, I drew a lot of attention. It was great to sit on the plaza stones, have kids come up to me to get their picture taken, and to see them laugh when I showed them their images on the back of my camera. Cool!!!

So here for your viewing pleasure, the Bhutanese going about their lives.

These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.