Chimi Lhakhang - Temple of Divine Madman

Villages and rice terraces at the start of the hike to the Temple of the Divine Madman	Lobesa - the village where we started our hike	Dragon painted on a house in Lobesa, Bhutan	One of the cruder phallus paintings - Lobeysa
Bhutanese fertility symbol - a giant erect ejaculating penis painted on a house	Dennis and the Big One	House in Lobesa painted with traditional symbols	A pair of phalluses on either side of the front door
The erect penis is believed to drive away the evil eye	Traditional Bhutanese house, Lobeysa	The phallus paintings in Bhutan have their origin at the nearby Chimi Lhakhang, the Temple of the Divine Madman	Garuda eating a snake (naga), another painting to protect the home
Monk and traditional house, Lobesa	Traditional houses are built without a single nail	Bhutanese phallus painting	In addition to the paintings, wooden phalluses (lingam) are placed around the house
Buddhist text, Lobesa	A touristy restaurant at the start of the trek to Chimi Lhangkhang	Rice in the field	Dennis in a field of rice
In the rice fields near Lobesa	The next village across the rice fields	Vine with a yellow flower	Dennis likes yellow
The rice harvest has begun - early October	Path through the rice fields	Village on the way to the Temple of the Divine Madman	Bhutan is not self-sufficient in rice production - the balance is imported from India
This region of Bhutan produced two rice crops per year	A stupa with prayer wheels set among the rice fields	Stupa enroute to Chimi Lhakhang	Corn growing alongside the rice
Rice planted at two different times on adjacent fields	It's a bit cloudy but good for walking	Dennis in Bhutan	Starting the short climb up to the Temple of the Divine Madman
The house could use a whitewash	Steps carved from a tree trunk leading to the second floor of a house	Chimi Lhakhang - the Temple of the Divine Madman	The temple was built in 1499 by the 14th Drukpa on a site blessed by Drukpa Kinley, the Divine Madman
Large prayer wheel, Chimi Lhakhang	The Divine Madman (1455-1529) founded Chimi Lhakhang in 1499	Dennis at the Temple of the Divine Madman	Women sought out the Divine Madman for a blessing in the form of sex
Window, Chimi Lhakhang	Dennis - Chimi Lhakhang	Me and Dennis at the Temple of the Divine Madman	Dragon shaped spout on the corner of the temple roof
Doorway - Chimi Lhakhang	Prayer Wheel and a painting of Namthosey, the gold king of the north, who holds a mongoose and victory banner	The mongoose held in the hand of Namthosey, the Guardian King of the North	Dragon hammed out of metal
Door with a painting of the Khorlo, or Wheel of Life	Prayer wheels at the Temple of the Divine Madman	Thunpa Punzhi - the Four Harmonious Friends	Respect age, be selfless and help others
View of the villages and rice fields from the hilltop temple	Hiking back down through the fields and villages	Rice terraces around Lobesa	Path back to the village of Lobesa
Path along an irrigation canal	Hiking through the rice fields back from Chimi Lhakhang	Villagers passing through the fields	Looking back, Chimi Lhakhang is on the hillside beyond the village
Even without the temple, the pastoral setting is very pleasant	Stupa in the rice fields around Lobesa	Rice Harvest, Bhutan	A cow in the freshly harvested field
Bhutan farming village at harvest time	Rice harvest, Bhutan	Tie your shoe laces!	Cornfield, Lobesa
Arriving back at Lobesa with its welcoming restaurant	Lobesa's tourist restaurant	The road to Punakha	Terraced rice fields on the higher slopes
Bhutanese village - Lobesa	Restaurant view - Lobesa	A couple of village dogs, Lobesa	Gay Restaurant Cum Bar - Bhutan
After hiking to the Temple of the Divine Madman, we continue our drive to Punakha	Leaving the rice fields of Lobesa behind driving on the road north to Punakha