Dochula Pass

Dochula Pass

BHUT10D-182_HDR

November 19, 2010

In 2003, Bhutan was pushed towards war. Indian rebels were hiding in Bhutan, and the Indian government had given Butan an ultimatum of either driving the rebels out or the Indian Army would be forced to cross the border and do it themselves. Bhutan's traditions of pacifism and peace wanted to avoid a conflict, with an army of only 7,000 enlisted men, facing possibly tens of thousands of rebels, and so the proposed action was unpopular. So, the king made the mission voluntary for the soldiers, and personally took charge and led the campaign against the rebels. The mini-war was a success, and the rebels were routed with minimal losses to the Bhutan army. Some wanted to erect a monument for the victory, but the King responded that war is never a thing to be glorified, even if one is victorious. So instead he commissioned this monument honoring the dead soldiers and the dead rebels from the conflict.

The 108 stupas sit along the main road leading from Thimphu to the east, at Dochula Pass (an altitude of about 3100 m). These solemn constructions are colorful and decorative, and the forest adjoining the monument is festooned with prayer flags, swaying in the breezes. It is impossible to miss if you're driving east from Thimphu, and marks a beautiful area with a serious and touching reminder of war.  Image-wise, it is not my favorite ever; the HDR construction created a background that looks a little "off."  I believe this is probably due to the fog that was blowing through the region, and thus they might not have been able to line-up completely in sync when I was merging them.  But the colors pop, and the level of detail in the monuments is certainly enhanced by the HDR, which also gives some color to the prayer flags in the background.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  22 mm

Exposure: var @ f/11, ISO 400

Post-processing: HDR photomerge of 5 images (+/- 1&2 EV) in Photomatix, slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4