| The Eastern Bhutan | | | | founded in 1990 by Garub Rimpoche and now housed |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â | | | | of more than 350 monks. Radi also famous in textile. |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â | | | | Women here are weavers who specialize in fabric |
| 15   Mongar Dzongkhag  | | | | made from raw silk.  Two days walk to Merak |
| Mongar Dzongkhag covers an area of about 1954 sq. | | | | & Sakteng the Northern part of Bhutan. Its |
| km with elevations ranging from 400 - 4000 meters | | | | beautiful gracious valley with pristine environment and |
| above the sea level. The Dzongkhag has about 5000 | | | | best place for visitors, especially those who love to |
| households. Potato and corn are the principal cash | | | | walk in the countryside and get back into a time. |
| crops in the Dzongkhag. Settlements are scattered | | | | |
| and most settlements remain remote and inaccessible. | | | | 18Â Â Â Tashiyangtse Dzongkhag |
| This makes delivery of services difficult and costly. | | | | Tashiyangtse was a Drungkhag under the |
| Kurichu Power Plant is expected to bring tremendous | | | | administration of Trashigang Dzongkhag until 1992 |
| socio-economic changes in the Dzongkhag. | | | | when it was established as a separate full-fledged |
| The Mongar Dzong was built in 1953 and is unusual as | | | | Dzongkhag coinciding with the start of the Seventh |
| it has two entrances. The Dzong was establish here in | | | | Plan. Tashiyangtse is also known for its Wildlife |
| 1930 to replace the original Shongar Dzong and now | | | | Sanctuary at Bumdeling , which is the winter roosting |
| housed for 150 monks. The places for visitors are | | | | place for the black-necked cranes. Tashiyangtse |
| Kilikhar Buddhist Institute. Drametse Goenpa founded in | | | | Dzongkhag falls in the north east of the country with |
| 1511 by the great granddaughter, Ani Choten Zangmo | | | | elevation ranging from 1000 - 5400 m above sea level. |
| and her husband Yeshi Gyalpo in a place she called | | | | Gom Kora is a small temple usually known as Gomphu |
| Drametse means "the peak where there is no | | | | Kora. "Gomphu" is a sacred meditation site |
| enemy". The monastery is housed of about 70 | | | | and "Kora" means circumambulation. Guru |
| laymen (married Nyingma monks). There also | | | | meditated here and left body impression on a rock. Its |
| Bhutanese Pilgrim, a two days walk from Yadi to Aja | | | | a renowned pilgrimage in Bhutan. Chorten Kora is a |
| Ney . The ‘A' of Aja is a sacred letter and | | | | large stupa in style of Bodhnath. Lam Ngawang |
| ‘Ja' means one hundred. Guru Rimpoche placed | | | | Loday constructed it in 1740. It's believed that during the |
| 100 "A"s on the rocks and for devotes it's | | | | construction of stupa an eight years old girl from |
| like a treasure hunts, the more you see the more | | | | Arunachal Pradesh sacrificed her life by entering the |
| merits you gain. Recently the Hotels are coming up | | | | stupa. In her memory, one day is granted as the kora |
| with full dedication and will have no any problem to visit | | | | for her people. The second Kora for Bhutanese, who |
| out there. | | | | come from all over the kingdom of Bhutan. Zorig |
| Â | | | | Chusum Institute (thirteen arts and crafts) opened in |
| 16  Lhuentse Dzongkhag   | | | | 1997 where you will see various arts and crafts |
| Lhuentse is one of the least developed Dzongkhags in | | | | showcase and youths are training. |
| the country with 2506 households. Apart from the | | | | Â |
| district highway, the Dzongkhag lacks internal motor | | | | 19Â Â Â Â Pemagatsel Dzongkhag |
| roads and most villages remain remote and | | | | Â Pemagatshel means "blissful land of the |
| inaccessible by motor roads. Limited agriculture land | | | | Lotus" is located in the south east of Bhutan with |
| and other farm infrastructure pose considerable | | | | an area of 517.8 sq km and has 2547 households. The |
| problem in enhancing farm production and productivity. | | | | Dzongkhag is characterized by highly dissected |
| This region also famous in textile and they produced | | | | mountain ranges, steep slopes and narrow valleys with |
| many traditional textiles. | | | | little flat land. The elevation in the Dzongkhag ranges |
| Singye Dzong an important pilgrimage place for | | | | from 1000 - 3500 meters above the sea level. Yongla |
| Bhutanese is on the old trade route from Bhutan to | | | | Goenpa is one of the holiest shrines in eastern Bhutan |
| Lhobrak in Tibet. Its three days walk from Lhuentse. Its | | | | few kilometres above the Dzong. Kheydrup Jigme |
| believed that Guru Rimpoche flew from here to | | | | Kuendrel founded the monastery in 18th century, who |
| Taktsang monastery in Paro while Yeshi Tsogyel, the | | | | was instructed by the great Terton Rinzin Jigme |
| consort of Guru Rimpoche who concealed many | | | | Lingpa to set up a monastery on a mountain that |
| terms (treasures) and got enlightenment. One and | | | | looked like a "Phurba" (three bladed ritual |
| half hours drive from Lhuentse to Dungkhar Naktsang | | | | dragger) and over looked the plain of India. It also used |
| and the Naktsang of Trongsa Penlop, Jigme Namgyel | | | | by Trongsa Penlop Jigme Namgyel as a base for |
| the father of the first Hereditary Monarchy of Bhutan. | | | | religious ceremonies and during the great Duar war |
| Dungkhar also believed to be blessed by Guru | | | | with British in 1865. Its a best place for visitors to |
| Rimpoche and Pema Lingpa. At present a 132 ft Guru | | | | acclimatize and meditation but lack of hotel and tourism |
| statue , one of the largest statue in the globe is under | | | | facilities. |
| construction by Udeyana project. | | | | Â |
| Â | | | | Â 20Â Â Â Â Â Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag |
| 17Â Â Â Â Â Trashigang Dzongkhag | | | | Â Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag lies in the South |
| Trashigang is one of the largest Dzongkhags in the | | | | Eastern part of Bhutan bordering the Indian State of |
| country. It has three Drungkhags (sub district) with | | | | Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The Dzongkhag has a |
| 8464 households. Though the Dzongkhag has over 93 | | | | total area of approximately 2308 square kilometers |
| km of internal feeder roads, most settlements are still | | | | and major portions of the Dzongkhag fall within the |
| inaccessible by motor roads. Rough land terrain and | | | | subtropical belt with elevations ranging from 200 - |
| scattered settlements make delivery of services | | | | 3500 meters above sea level. Samdrup Jongkhar |
| difficult and costly. | | | | Dzongkhag comprises of three Drungkhags (sub |
| Tashigang Dzong built in 1667 by Chogyel Minjure | | | | district). Due to lack of adequate motorable road |
| Tempa, Bhutan's third Desi. Bhutan's only University is | | | | network, most places remain isolated and remote. |
| located in Kanglung and Kanglung monastery. | | | | Samdrup Jongkhar is the gateway to and commercial |
| Weaving Centre in Khaling for the Bhutanese textile | | | | hub for five Eastern Dzongkhags and exit point of the |
| just 2½ hours drives from Tashigang. Rangjung | | | | visitors to onward destination i.e. Guwahati / Bagdogra, |
| Wodsel Chholing Monastery , a large Nyingma Goenpa | | | | Indian Air Line. |