If you happen to visit Bhutan anytime soon, don’t be shocked when you come across paintings of giant-sized penises all across the country and mind you, they all are fully erect. It’s a tradition, which is now being revived by artists who're going about town making paintings of the phallus, which we commonly refer to as the penis.
Phallus—an important part of the culture of Bhutan
From many years now, Buddhists in the beautiful kingdom of Bhutan have been worshipping the phallus—a unique but powerful ancient symbol of fertility and prosperity for the rural folks. The phallus has been an essential part of Bhutan’s traditional ceremonies, which many also use to ward off evil and malicious eyes.
This is why you see paintings of the phallus on their walls, on the rooftops—almost anywhere and everywhere. These paintings have their origins in the Chimi Lhakhang monastery near Punakha, the former capital of Bhutan. The phallic worship is now getting revived in order to protect the rich cultural heritage of this Himalayan country and to restore this ancient religious practice among the people.
The origins of the phallic worship can be traced back to the 15th century when it was first introduced by the Buddhist teacher, Drukpa Kunley, or the Divine Madman, whose unusual teachings always bore sexual overtones and always raised eyebrows.
His unorthodox teachings insisted his admirers, mostly women, to be open to sexuality. He often offered blessings to his women followers in the form of sexual intercourse.
While such tales are plenty, these paintings can get too much to handle sometimes. Now, who'd want to see giant penises staring at their faces in broad daylight?
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