The Silent Watcher On The Hilltop

When construction of the Shakyamuni Buddha statue at Kuensel Phodrang began in 2006, I was excited - from all accounts the structure was destined to be a major crowd-puller - Buddhist faithful, as well as, the gawk-eyed tourists. And when the skeletal internal steel support frame came into shape, my interest was heightened even further - because there was some strange and eerie kind of appeal about it.

The internal steel frame for the cladding

Thereafter, I began photographing the statute as it began to take shape ….. every stage of the construction’s progress.

The steel frame now fully clad

The process of removing the scaffolding

The Third Eye is installed - workers in the process of removing the scaffolding

The construction of the statue is near complete - cladding is fully done and all the scaffolding is dismantled and removed

2015: the job is done. The Buddha sits serenely while a thick fog rises around him

Then one day sometime in 2010-2011, quiet unexpectedly, my camera captured a flaw on the Zhey (face) of the Buddha …. both on the right as well as on the left of the Buddha’s cheeks. The glaring welding defect could clearly bee seen - running horizontally across the Buddha’s cheek:

The flawed LEFT cheek of the Buddha's face

The flawed RIGHT cheek of the Buddha's face

Faith - any faith - is a powerful thing …. and I was aware that the Buddhists in Bhutan believe that it is bad omen to worship a statue with a flawed/scarred face. Thus, equipped with the photos of the Buddha’s flawed face, I went to see His Excellency JYT who was then head of the government. I showed him the photo of Buddha’s face. Within minutes, His Excellency called the Lam in charge and ordered the correction of the flaw.

I believe that the flaw was duly corrected .... and that was that!

Then, more than one and a half decades later, on 25th June, 2025, yet again, my camera captured the following scar on the right cheek of the statue:

A blemish on the right cheek of the Buddha's face - as it was visible on 25th June, 2025

This time I did not go to the government …. because I am told that some agency had taken over the management of Kuensel Phodrang. I hope one of these days they will LOOK and, even more important, SEE the problem. It is my hope that the authorities will investigate the matter and find out what is causing that ugly blemish on the serene face of the Buddha. To my untrained eyes, it looks like the problem is structural, and not merely superficial.

Over a thousand million Ngueltrums have been spent behind the construction of the beautiful statue. Even beyond that, millions have been spent in the beautification of Kuensel Phodrang. The greening efforts of the site was an event fit for the Guinness Book of World Records (2015).

And yet, in recent months the sacred site has fallen victim to human greed and mindlessness. For the sake of a handful of money, the site has been allowed to be subjected to defilement with waste and garbage – even to this day the surrounding forests’ floor remain littered with mounds of trash - it stinks of human excreta.

Thousands upon thousands of believers circumambulate the Buddha Dordenma statue all year round. But it is obvious that they are mostly mindless, sightless and clueless. They believe that they are engaged in the practice of religion. But I ask you - what kind of religion can they be practicing when, in their wake, they render asunder a sanctum sanctorum dedicated to the very Buddha whom they claim they so fervently worship?

Sad!