Discover Phuentsholing

Phuentsholing is one of four official road border crossings from India to Bhutan. If you are looking for a hotel in Phuentsholing, its role as a border crossing, religious architecture and landscape offer different ways to plan your trip. Karbandi Lhakhang complements the town’s role as a border crossing with its own architectural history, religious imagery and panoramic views from its surroundings.

Karbandi Lhakhang: History, Art and Views

Karbandi Lhakhang is situated on a hill in Phuentsholing at an altitude of 400 metres and is also known as Riwa Duntik Rinchending Lhakhang (Kharbandi Goenpa). It was built in 1967 by the Royal Grandmother Ashi Phuntsho Chodron, amid a garden of tropical plants and flowers.

The Lhakhang houses life-size statues of Zhabdrung and Guru Rinpoche; paintings depict scenes from the life of Buddha. The statues provide a figurative accent, while the paintings portray scenes from Buddha’s life. Here, two forms of religious representation come together: life-size figures and narrative images.

The surroundings of the Lhakhang offer panoramic views of Phuentsholing and the plains of West Bengal. While the statues and paintings draw attention to religious representations, the panorama looks outward toward the town and the plains. West Bengal features here in two distinct ways: as part of the landscape viewed from the Lhakhang and as the southern neighbour of Chhukha Dzongkhag.

Border Crossing and Pedestrian Terminal

When it was inaugurated in 2022, the pedestrian terminal in Phuentsholing had a separate immigration area for tourists, as well as information and currency exchange services. The terminal services mentioned for 2022 should therefore be distinguished in time from Phuentsholing’s permanent role as a border crossing.

Chukha: Regional Context

Within the wider destination of Chukha, Chhukha Dzongkhag is located in southwestern Bhutan. It borders Samtse to the west, Haa and Paro to the north, Thimphu and Dagana to the east, and West Bengal in India to the south. This information moves from the specific destination of Phuentsholing to the regional level: it situates Chukha among its neighbouring areas, while the description of the town remains focused on the border crossing and Karbandi Lhakhang.

Jigmechu Ecotourism is the district’s flagship tourism project. In Jigmechu, you can walk along the riverbank and observe birds and other wildlife; sightings may vary.

Jigmechu Ney is considered a sacred site where Rigdzin Garab Dorji is said to have attained the rainbow body. A visit to the pilgrimage site of Ami Nye is also among the pilgrimage activities in Jigmechu. The Tree House Campsite offers overnight stays in treehouse structures built in harmony with nature; check whether it is currently operating before travelling.

For trip planning, it is helpful to distinguish between the different scales: Phuentsholing is the specific town, while Chukha is the broader regional context. This allows you to consider the border crossing and Karbandi Lhakhang as local points of interest alongside Jigmechu’s nature and pilgrimage activities within the wider context of Chukha.

For the broader travel overview: Chukha.