The healing springs of Bhutan

There are many hotsprings in Bhutan. Hotsprings are sulphuric water which comes from underground. We have to walk deep into the forest, sometimes walk for days to reach such a hot spring spot. Usually, there is a big wooden tub or two, filled to the brim with hot sulphuric underground water.

During the winter months, many people walk to these hot spring spots or "Tsachus" as they are called. People believe that soaking in this water will cure illnesses, such as stomach ailments, headache, skin problems and the list goes on and on. People pack a lot of food, rice, dried meat, dried chillies, cheese, butter to take to the Tsachus. They also carry tents and clothing and flashlights and they hire horses to carry these things. Once they reach the spot, they pitch  tents, cook  food and make an offering to the local diety of the hot spring not to harm them while they stay there and to heal their illnesses. Then people go to the hot tubs and sit there and soak in the water.

Many people from all over Bhutan come to these places and while they sit in the water, it is a chance to make friends and crack jokes or tell stories. People can sit in the hot water as long as they want to and when they go back to their tents, they take a quick nap.Then they eat fermented rice wine fried in butter and eggs. All this rich food is supposed to help  in healing  illness faster.

Some people who are accident victims or who have a broken leg or arm go to recuperate at these Tsachus. They strongly believe that soaking as many times as possible in the hot water will bring about a miraculous recovery and heal the broken bones and ease the pain.Different hot springs are supposed to cure different illnesses.

People usually stay at a hot spring for atleast one week and if you stay as long as 21 days, then it is supposed to bring about the most beneficial changes in your body. Since these hot springs are located deep in the woods, there is no electricity so people use candles and torches and little oil lamps at night. So if you forget your candles, its not so good as the nearest shop is many hours walk away.

There are also many interesting stories about the local guardian diety of the hotspring. One hot spring in the north of Bhutan has a legend that the guardian diety is a creature who has a face which is half white and half black. People at the hot springs usually do not fry meat or make a lot of noise. They believe that it displeases the diety who will send rain to the hotspring sites and you cannot enjoy your time there. So at night when people soak in the hot water, they usually chant prayers and the stories and jokes are  kept for the daytime soaks. Besides soaking in the hot water,people also walk some miles to nearby temples and offer butter lamps. At one hot spring site, there is a a small cave which is a sulphur cave. If you stick your nose in it and breathe in the sulphuric air it is supposed to cure sinusitis if you have it. If you don't have sinus, then don't breathe in that air as it is pungent sulphuric air which really hits you deep in your nose and sends your head reeling.  

People also fill bottles and jars with the hot spring water when they go back home, as gifts for the people who could not visit. Usually people try to visit these hot springs once every year, the best time being in winter when the forest is not full of leeches and the weather is dry and the schools are closed so children can also accompany their parents. It is a time for relaxing with friends and family, eating food and doing nothing but soak and soak some more in the hot water.