Kyichu Lakhang: The Delightful Blue Temple of Bhutan

This temple built in the 7th century is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. And it holds a lot of spiritual importance for the people of Bhutan as they believe that Guru Rinpoche (the founder of Tantric Buddhism) visited this temple and meditated here for a long while.


But, that is not the thing that appealed to me the most. The fact that the insides of the temple are completely decked in blue blew my mind away as I had never seen such bright colours in a Buddhist temple and the murals inside the temple just accentuated the blues so very well.


This temple is located just outside Paro at about a 15 minute drive away. It can either be visited alone from Paro or can be coupled with a visit to the Taktsang monastery as both these attractions happen to be in the same direction.


As with most of the Buddhist temples in Bhutan, one cannot take photographs inside the Kyichu Lakhang. In fact, you won’t feel like doing anything but sitting inside and staring at the statues, the murals and the paintings. The rich colours and gold completely overpowers you.


Just as soon as you enter the temple compound, you will see two orange trees with big orange fruits on them. It is believed that these orange trees bear fruit all year around. This is one of those temples you should not miss while visiting the Paro area of Bhutan.