Punakha District

Coordinates: 27°40′N 89°50′E / 27.667°N 89.833°E / 27.667; 89.833

Location of Punakha dzongkhag within Bhutan

The Mo Chhu flowing alongside Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong at Punakha.

Punakha District (Dzongkha: སྤུ་ན་ཁ་རྫོང་ཁག་; Wylie: Spu-na-kha rdzong-khag) is one of the 20 dzongkhags (districts) comprising Bhutan. It is bordered by Thimphu, Gasa, and Wangdue Phodrang Districts. The dominant language in the district is Dzongkha, the national language.

Culture

Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong at Punakha, the administrative and religious center of the district, is the winter home of Bhutan's Dratshang Lhentshog (Central Monk Body). Since the 1680s the dzong has also been the site of a continuous vigil over the earthly body of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the founder of the country, which lies in a special chamber in the dzong. Punakha dzong was the capital of Bhutan during the time of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. The Punakha Dzong is one of the most historic dzongs in the whole country. Built by Shabdrung Ngwang Namgyal in the 17th century, it is located between the confluence of two rivers: Pho Chhu (male) and Mo Chhu (female).

Geography

Punakha is divided into eleven gewogs:

Over half of Punakha (Chhubu Gewog, Goenshari, Kabisa, Toewang Gewogs) lies within Jigme Dorji National Park, one of the protected areas of Bhutan. The dzongkhag also contains biological corridors along the Thimphu District border.^[1][2]

See also

• Districts of Bhutan
• Punakha Province

References

v t e Districts (dzongkhag) of Bhutan Central Dagana Gasa Punakha Tsirang Wangdue Phodrang Southern Bumthang Sarpang Trongsa Zhemgang Western Chukha Haa Paro Samtse Thimphu Eastern Lhuntse Mongar Pemagatshel Samdrup Jongkhar Trashigang Trashiyangtse