A garden in Thimphu dedicated to explaining the Bhutanese folk tradition of phallic imagery, which has its roots in the teachings of the 15th-century saint Drukpa Kunley. Painted wooden phalluses and associated ritual objects are displayed with explanatory text covering the history and symbolism of the tradition. The garden is modest in scale but provides genuine cultural context for the imagery that visitors encounter on house walls across rural Bhutan. The tone is educational rather than prurient.
Wangchuk Chenmoi Dumra (Garden of Phallus)
Garden of phallic fertility symbols in Bhutanese tradition
A story
Phallic imagery has been part of Bhutanese folk tradition for centuries, associated with the 15th-century Buddhist saint Drukpa Kunley — known as the "Divine Madman" — who used unconventional behaviour and sexuality as teaching tools. Painted phalluses appear on the exterior walls of houses across Bhutan as protective symbols against evil. The dedicated garden formalises and explains this tradition for curious visitors.