Thimphu District
Thimphu Dzongkhag ཐིམ་ཕུ་རྫོང་ཁག Thimphu District | |
|---|---|
 Thimphu District | |
 | |
| Country | Bhutan |
| Headquarters | Thimphu |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,067 km2 (798 sq mi) |
| Population (2017) | |
• Total | 138,736 |
| • Rank | 1st |
| • Density | 67/km2 (170/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (BTT) |
| HDI (2021) | 0.832[1] very high · 1st |
| Website | www |
27°35′N 89°35′E / 27.583°N 89.583°E
Thimphu District (Dzongkha: ཐིམ་ཕུ་རྫོང་ཁག་; Wylie: Thim-phu rdzong-khag) is a dzongkhag (district) of Bhutan. Thimphu is also the capital of Bhutan and the largest city in the whole kingdom.
Languages
The dominant language throughout the district is Dzongkha; however, within the capital nearly every language of Bhutan may be encountered.[2]
Cultural sites
Important cultural sites of Thimphu include:
- Druk Wangditse Lhakhang
- Dechen Phodrang Central Monastic School
- Tshelung Ney is the second Draphu Maratika where Guru Rinpoche received life empowerment (Tse Ngedrup) from Tsepakme.[3]
- Chari Meditation Centre
- Druk Wangyel Complex, Dochula
- National Memorial Chorten
- Tango Choeying Dzong is the most important site of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo where Yidam Tandin appeared before him in person and delivered precepts to him.[4]
- Dodeydra Buddhist Institute
- Changangkha Lhakhang
- Thuji Dra is one of the four cliffs of Guru Rinpoche prophesied to Phajo Drugom Zhigpo by Guru Rinpoche.[5]
- Buddha Dordenma Statue at Buddha Point is one of the world’s largest and tallest Sitting Buddha statues. It is 169 feet (52 m) and sits upon a large meditation hall.[6]
- Domtsang Ney is a meditative cave of Guru Rinpoche.[7]
- Domendrel Tsho is a sacred lake near a palce where Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye offered a Mandala to consecrate the Palace of Chador Namgyal, the King of Sikkim.[8]
- Jagar Damkelsa Ney, the sacred cliff where Drubthob Nagi Rinchen meditated to rescue his mother who was born in a hell.[9]
Administrative divisions
Thimphu District is divided into eight gewogs and one town (Thimphu):[10]
Lingzhi, Soe and Naro Gewogs belong to the Lingzhi Dungkhag subdistrict, the only subdistrict within Thimphu District. The remaining gewogs do not belong to any subdistrict.[11]
Town of Thimphu
Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan and of Thimphu District.
Environment
The northern half of Thimphu District (the gewogs of Kawang, Lingzhi, Naro and Soe – corresponding roughly to Lingzhi Dungkhag) is subject to environmental protection, falling within Jigme Dorji National Park.[12]
- Thimphu District
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View of Thimphu -
Rice terraces -
Traditional house -
108 Choerten on the Dochu La -
View from Dochu La
Climate
| Climate data for Thimphu-Simtokha, elevation 2,310 m (7,580 ft), (1996–2017 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 24.0 (75.2) | 25.0 (77.0) | 28.0 (82.4) | 30.0 (86.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.0 (89.6) | 33.0 (91.4) | 32.5 (90.5) | 31.0 (87.8) | 31.0 (87.8) | 27.0 (80.6) | 24.0 (75.2) | 33.0 (91.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 14.8 (58.6) | 16.6 (61.9) | 19.3 (66.7) | 22.4 (72.3) | 24.8 (76.6) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.0 (78.8) | 23.7 (74.7) | 19.7 (67.5) | 16.6 (61.9) | 22.1 (71.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) | 8.5 (47.3) | 11.6 (52.9) | 15.1 (59.2) | 18.2 (64.8) | 21.0 (69.8) | 21.8 (71.2) | 21.7 (71.1) | 20.3 (68.5) | 16.3 (61.3) | 11.5 (52.7) | 7.9 (46.2) | 15.0 (59.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.2 (28.0) | 0.3 (32.5) | 3.8 (38.8) | 7.9 (46.2) | 11.6 (52.9) | 15.3 (59.5) | 16.5 (61.7) | 16.1 (61.0) | 14.6 (58.3) | 9.0 (48.2) | 3.2 (37.8) | −0.8 (30.6) | 8.0 (46.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −8.5 (16.7) | −7.0 (19.4) | −7.0 (19.4) | −2.0 (28.4) | 2.5 (36.5) | 8.0 (46.4) | 11.0 (51.8) | 9.0 (48.2) | 6.0 (42.8) | −3.0 (26.6) | −6.0 (21.2) | −7.5 (18.5) | −8.5 (16.7) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 6.3 (0.25) | 9.2 (0.36) | 20.4 (0.80) | 29.9 (1.18) | 49.8 (1.96) | 97.7 (3.85) | 152.8 (6.02) | 120.8 (4.76) | 73.9 (2.91) | 43.1 (1.70) | 1.2 (0.05) | 3.7 (0.15) | 608.9 (23.97) |
| Average rainy days | 1.1 | 1.2 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 8.7 | 14.2 | 19.0 | 16.7 | 11.7 | 4.7 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 88.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 68.6 | 62.6 | 62.8 | 60.2 | 63.2 | 67.0 | 72.7 | 72.2 | 71.2 | 66.6 | 62.1 | 64.0 | 66.1 |
| Source 1: National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology[13] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: World Meteorological Organization (rainy days 1996–2018)[14] | |||||||||||||
See also
References
- ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ van Driem, George L. (1993). "Language Policy in Bhutan" (PDF). London: SOAS. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
- ^ "Tshelung Ney, a Sacred Place of Prophetic Longevity". bhutanpilgrimage.com. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
- ^ "Tango Choying Dzong, where Chenrizig revealed himself as "Wrathful Hayagriva"". bhutanpilgrimage.com. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
- ^ "Thuji Dra, the Cliff of Compassion where Phajo had a Vision of Chenrezig". bhutanpilgrimage.com. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
- ^ "Buddha Dordenma Statue, the Tallest Sitting Buddha at Buddha Point". bhutanpilgrimage.com. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
- ^ "Domtsang Ney, a Meditation Cave of Guru Rinpoche". bhutanpilgrimage.com. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
- ^ "Domendrel Tsho, a Place where Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye offered a Mandala". bhutanpilgrimage.com. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
- ^ "Jagar Damkelsa Ney, a Cliff where Drubthob Nagi Rinchen Meditated to Rescue his Mother". bhutanpilgrimage.com. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
- ^ "Chiwogs in Thimphu" (PDF). Election Commission, Government of Bhutan. 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-28.
- ^ "Lingzhi Geog". Thimphu Dzongkhag Administration. Archived from the original on September 6, 2009.
- ^ "Parks of Bhutan". Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation online. Bhutan Trust Fund. Archived from the original on 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
- ^ "Climate Data Book of Bhutan, 2018" (PDF). National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ "World Weather Information Service – Thimphu". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
External links
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