BHUTAN… a nation protected by phallus
Dekey C Gyeltshen
ordinary painting of phallus
Apart from the stunning scenery, graphic and colourful images of penises adorn the walls of every Bhutanese building.
The total populate of about seven hundred thousand people, Buddhists of this world’s last Mahayana nation and the youngest democracy have a unique devotion to the most unusual of objects: the phallus.
The phallus is an essential and intregel part of Bhutan’s unique culture and traditional values. Painted on the walls of almost every house, hanging from the eaves of traditional Bhutanese roofs and in more recent times seen stuck to vehicles and refrigerators.
Like every other young hard-working Bhutanese men, 29-year-old Jimmy currently living in Melbourne, dreams of building a house in the capital city of Thimphu he could call his home. His only dream for now has a huge red phallus painted on the front entrance wall. “This is how everyone is welcomed in the tiny Himalayan kingdom, and this is how I intend to uphold our ancient belief of driving away ill luck,” Jimmy says.
a phallus is stuck on Jimmy’s fridge in his apartment in Melbourne’s West
Today, young Bhutanese like Jimmy are minorities who tries his to uphold the age-old belief of this “scandalous” yet powerful image offering protection from evil and protecting those who live inside the house.
Divine madman
The phallus has its origin in Chimi Lhakhang, the monastery built-in the honour of Lama Drukpa Kinley. Also known as the Divine Madman, stories about his drinking and womanizing abound in the kingdom and his shrine draws visitors from across and out of the country.
Chimi Lhakhang is one of the most visited tourist sites in Bhutan. Tourists find it hard to believe when their tour guide narrates them this peculiar story. But when they visit Chimi Lhakhang and see it for themselves, they find no complaints but absolute amazement.
Legend has it that Drukpa Kinley would hit errant demons over the head with his penis to subdue them and turn them into protective deities. Till date it is believed that praying at this monastery can bless a childless woman with children.
historic image of the Divine Madman
Today, several wooden penises are kept in the monastery.
The longest, a brown wooden one with a silver handle, is the most auspicious – it is considered a religious relic and is used for blessing the devout.
The presiding monk says Drukpa Kinley brought it with him when he arrived in Bhutan from Tibet about 500 years ago.
The age-old good omen
Bhutanese hire local professional artists to paint the perfect bright red phallus right next to the traditional wooden window of the ancient Bhutanese house.
A Bhutanese student, Karma Gyeltshen pursuing his Masters in Melbourne, recalls his traditional village house in the remote East of Bhutan. “When I was a little boy my grandfather used to tell me that the phallus drawn on the entrance wall of our house was to protect everyone who lived inside that house”.
In the midst of modernization and thousands of miles away from home, Karma still believes that the phallus protects his folks back home.
“The phallus ward off the evil eye. When people envy me or say something bad about me or my family, it takes away the sting,” Karma adds.
Modernization has its infinite effects on young Bhutanese, but traditional values are still dear to them.
Modern day phallus
Today, the belief that the phallus can bring good luck is still very much alive in modern-day Bhutanese society. Besides finding paintings of phallus on the outside walls of houses, one can also see carved wooden phalluses hung in people’s homes as well as outside, at the four corners of the eaves. The wooden phalluses are also placed in the middle of farming fields to act as scarecrows. Stones are carefully craved in the shape of phallus.
Even the water coming out of phalluses of this kind is considered holy
During the annual religious festival known as tsechu, the atsaras (masked clowns) decorate their headgear with phallus painted cloth and dance with their holy whips and wooden phalluses. It is a common sight to see young Bhutanese rushing to get a glimpse of these atsaras in undying hope of cleansing their sins.
The phallus is also used in an interesting ritual performed as part of house warming ceremonies for new homes. Baskets of wooden phalluses are placed at the four corners of the eaves of the house and one inside the house. The owner of the house hires groups of men and women to help raise the basket to the roof. In the process, the men and women sing phallic songs and get free alcohol from the homeowner.
Artistic inspiration from the phallus
“Bhutan’s phallic worship is getting a second look. The age-old tradition is being reconsidered — to preserve its rich narratives, as artistic inspiration and as a tool for religious belief. In fact, the phallic symbol is suddenly again in vogue, contrary to the popular belief that modern Bhutanese are discomfited by the graphic paintings of an erect penis,” writes Tara Limbu, a Bhutanese journalist for The Huffington Post.
A young Bhutanese female author has written a new book, “Phallus: Crazy Wisdom from Bhutan”, a local Bhutanese filmmaker is working on a film that explores phallic culture and a young Bhutanese artist has carved a provocative phallus with dragon.
Karma Choden launches her book ‘Phallus: crazy wisdom from Bhutan’
“I not only saw phalluses of all kinds — from one village to the other — but I found the stories behind its symbolism equally intriguing,” said the author, Karma Choden. “It is like a new art form is found. We are now giving our own spin to spirituality, culture and ritual.
Karma says Bhutanese can be creative when it comes to phallic paintings and carvings: “All kinds of phalluses have recently emerged … some smiling, some angry, and some downright obscene,” she writes in her book.
Bhutanese filmmaker Tashi Gyeltshen will be exploring the idea of phallus in his next film, “The Red Phallus.” “Phallus is the object and idea that creates and destroys; it is about life and death, the duality of existence,” he said.
Are tourists offended?
a tourist gets a close glimpse of phallus from Atsara at a Tshechu
Penises of various sizes, color, and embellishments painted on houses or suspended from rooftops are the first glimpse any tourist can get after landing in the country’s only airport in Paro.
Some have ribbons tied around them like holiday presents, while others are coiled by daunting dragons. A few even have eyes. They typically feature hairy testicles, from the neatly trimmed to full-on Yeti-style. And, of course, all are fully erect.
While Bhutan tops many travel wish lists – thanks to its almost utopic reputation as “the last Shangri La” and a place where the government measures success in “Gross National Happiness” instead of gross domestic product – only a fraction can afford such a trip paying a high tariff rate of $250 USD per day.
In the past few year influx of tourists have drastically increased.
That’s potentially bad news for penis worship because some worry the influx of tourists to this isolated Buddhist oasis is already weakening the essence of Bhutan — namely its relationship with the omnipresent phallus.
The decline of the phallus is especially evident in “urban Bhutan,” a term locals insist is not an oxymoron.
The debate weather tourists are offended by these free phallus display; or weather they pay huge tariff in order to witness this most unique culture, can go on. But if you think worshiping the phallus is just a myth and what you just read is a fictional piece, then you might want to visit the last Sangri La and witness it yourself – first hand!
DekeyCG 