The Remote 14th-Century Bhutanese Fortress Steeped in Buddhist Heritage

The southern edge of the hill on which Ogyen Choling sits offers sweeping views of the Tang Valley and is bedecked with two types of prayer flags, lungdhar and manidhar. The former is composed of colorful squares commonly hung on a diagonal line from high to low between two objects, such as trees or stupas (Buddhist shrines). It’s believed the traditional mantras on prayer flags are passed on when the wind ruffles the fabric, which is why lungdhar flags are found blowing in the wind at passes, temples, and bridges in Himalayan nations. The vertical manidhar—most often white but sometimes red, as here—are raised to honor the deceased. A wooden dagger is affixed to their top to help those they commemorate "cut the knot of ignorance."