Bhutan’s culture and traditional heritage is most visible in its commanding architectural styles displayed by Dzongs (fortresses), Lhakhangs (temples), Goenpas (monasteries), Chortens (stupas), and housing units sprawling over the country. With continual adaptation to local topography, climatic conditions, local material availability and construction technology, indigenous Bhutanese architecture was heavily influenced by religious beliefs and stand as witness to domestic situations over the centuries.

Local materials used in traditional architecture include the generous use of timber for windows, doors, stairs, balconies, columns, beams, and other decorative structures. Large stones hold down wooden shingle roofing over constructions of rammed earth or stone masonry walls.

Bhutan’s culture and traditional heritage is most visible in its commanding architectural styles displayed by Dzongs (fortresses), Lhakhangs (temples), Goenpas (monasteries), Chortens (stupas), and housing units sprawling over the country. With continual adaptation to local topography, climatic conditions, local material availability and construction technology, indigenous Bhutanese architecture was heavily influenced by religious beliefs and stand as witness to domestic situations over the centuries.

Local materials used in traditional architecture include the generous use of timber for windows, doors, stairs, balconies, columns, beams, and other decorative structures. Large stones hold down wooden shingle roofing over constructions of rammed earth or stone masonry walls. 

Dzongs

The origin of Dzongs in Bhutan date back to the 12th century when the system was introduced from Tibet by Gyelwa Lhanangpa. During the time of the Shabdrung (early 17th century) the Dzong system was given a larger dimension to it with the dual purpose of housing monasteries and administrative offices, and serving as protective structures. In the present day, Dzongs continue to serve as the administrative headquarters and focus of secular and religious activities in the country’s districts.

Amazingly, Dzong architects rely on a mental blueprint and builders do not use a single nail in the construction of these massive citadels. Usually located on a strategic ridge overlooking the entrance to a valley, many Dzongs have a watchtower called Ta Dzong. It is either a part of the main building as in Jakar, or separated as in Paro and Tongsa.

The main courtyard of the Dzong is the dochey paved with large flagstones. Most Dzongs have two docheys seperating the secular from the monastic portion of the Dzong. The Utse is the central tower-like building housing the lhakhang on the ground floor. Most Dzongs have a chapel on each floor of the utse. As on all religious buildings in Bhutan, Dzongs have a red band called khemar painted just below the roof.

Some of the best examples of Bhutanese craftsmanship are contained in the Dzongs. Ancient hand printed scripts, carvings and murals, sculptures, textiles and rare artifacts can be found in these treasure houses.

Lhakhangs and Goenpa

Many of the Lhakhangs (temples) and Goenpas (monasteries) in Bhutan are older than the Dzongs. With an enormous number of such religious buildings nearing 2000 by one count, many of these structures date back as far as the 7th century. They are found in almost every village and on almost every mountain in the country. These religious centres serve as the venue for almost every cultural event of a village thereby fulfilling important social and cultural functions.

The typical location of a Goenpa or monastery is at a remote place where peace and solitude facilitates meditation. Several monasteries were built in places considered sacred. Famous examples include Taktshang in Paro and Kurjey in Bumthang built around caves where Guru Rimpoche is believed to have meditated. Common features of Bhutanese monasteries include a central chapel and separate quarters for sleeping. The chapel is in the dochey, which is similar to that of the Dzongs.

Most Lhakhangs have a cupola and a gold-coloured ball-shaped ornament called tserto on the roof, a paved path around the building, and racks of prayer wheels outside the wall. The door opens to a gorikha, which is a raised veranda covered with murals depicting a wheel of life or certain guardians. Most lhakhangs have a room called goenkhang devoted to the protective deities, where the statues are usually covered when rituals are not being performed. Items stored in this room include weapons, old muskets, armour and round shields. Women are not allowed to enter the goenkhang.  

 
Chortens

Chortens are stupas, the most common religious structures found in Bhutan. There are over ten thousand chortens located mainly on high mountain passes, on roads, practically everywhere. Ranging from as small as 2 meters to over 10 meters in height, chortens are sometimes linked by long thick mani (prayer) walls inscribed with religious paintings and prayers. Bhutan has three basic styles of chorten generally characterized as Bhutanese, Tibetan and Nepali. Chorten Kora in Tashi Yangtse is an example of the Nepali style stupa while the Memorial chorten in Thimphu is the classic Tibetan chorten. The Bhutanese style chorten is a square stone pillar with a khemar or red band near the top, and sometimes a representation of the sun and moon by a ball and crescent on the top. The classical chorten is based on the ancient Indian form of a stupa with five symbolic elements. The square or rectangular base symbolizes the earth and the half-spherical dome symbolizes water. Fire is represented by the conical or pyramidal spire, the main structure’s 13 step-like segments are symbolic of the 13 steps leading to Buddha hood. The crescent moon and a sun on top symbolize air, and a vertical spike symbolizes the sacred light of the Buddha. The life-spirit of the chorten is a carved wooden pole called sokshing, which is placed inside.

Chortens are sometimes built in memory of an individual, and other times to commemorate the visit of a saint, or to house sacred books or bodies of saints or great lamas.

Houses

Traditional farmhouses are the main forms of secular architecture in Bhutan. The Bhutanese home is more than just a residential unit. It is also a social, economical and religious unit. Generally, traditional farmhouses are two stories high although ideally, there may be three main floors and an attic. The building may have semi-covered courtyards walled in the front, providing a link between the interior and external surroundings. This courtyard is used for purposes such as sheltering animals and storing agricultural implements.

The hierarchy of floors in a typical Bhutanese house starts with the simple lower ground floor as shelter for livestock, with upper levels used for living and religious purposes. The foundation is laid with stones placed in a trench and built up to a height of 50 cm above the ground. Walls are usually made of stone in central and eastern Bhutan, and of compacted mud offering strong and durable structure in the west. Traditionally, the windows on the lower floor are smaller than those on the upper floors. A cutout of a curved trefoil motif called a horzhing is characteristic of all windows in Bhutan. Below the high-shingled roofs, there are large open spaces used for drying agricultural products and storage. Just below the roof and above doors and windows, elaborately painted timber cornices are usually placed.

Houses can have a festive appearance if painted with floral, animal and religious motifs. Some of the most common patterns represent the lotus, the eight auspicious symbols, mythical animals and large red phalluses. The phallus is supposed to ward away evil, and many houses are decorated with carved wooden phalluses hung at the four corners or over the door. A prayer flag can be seen on the centre of the roof of all Buddhist homes