Photos: Earth >> Asia >> Bhutan >> West >> Thimphu

Register

  << Previous Next >>

The mystical Takin


The mystical Takin
Photo Information
Copyright: shubhankar basu (kampuchi) Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 13 W: 0 N: 10] (461)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-05-04
Categories: Nature
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-07-02 8:28
Viewed: 572
Points: 0
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Takin the National animal of Bhutan...

The reason for Bhutan selecting the Takin as the national animal is based on both its uniqueness and its strong association with the country's religious history and mythology. When the great saint Lama Drukpa Kunley, "the divine madman", visited Bhutan in the 15th century, a large congregation of devotees gathered around the country to witness his magical powers. The people urged the lama to perform a miracle. However, the saint, in his usual unorthodox and outrageous way, demanded that he first be served a whole cow and a goat for lunch. He devoured these with relish and left only bones. After letting out a large and satisfied burp, he took the goat's head and stuck it onto the bones of the cow. And then with a snap of his fingers, he commanded the strange beast to rise up and graze on the mountainside. To the astonishment of the people the animal arose and ran up to the meadows to graze. This animal came to be known as the dong gyem tsey (takin) and to this day, these rather clumsy animals can be seen grazing on the mountainsides of Bhutan.

clicked this near Thimpu mountains..


Only registered TrekLens members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekLens members may write critiques.
Discussions
None
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

No critiques
Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF