Have You Seen the Penises Drawn on Walls All over Bhutan? This Is the Legend behind the Grafitti

For years, this village in Bhutan has been known for its liberal display of phallic imagery on walls, doors, pillars, windows, and souvenirs around town. District Thimpu and villages such as Punakha are abundant with sightings of erect penis graffiti and they're often portrayed as a living entity, with each phallus having a unique personality.







For an ordinary onlooker, the phallus provides an extraordinary display of sexual awakening, but there is more to this peculiar artistic expression which is certainly devoid of perversion. Bhutan's phallic art roots lie in ancient fables. It owes its origins to a 15th century Tibetan spiritual teacher, Lama Kunley.







Legend has it, that in the 15th century, Lama Drukpa Kunley was on a mission to propagate his teachings, and he used a bow and arrow to zero-in on his destination. After launching an arrow into Bhutan, Lama Kunley embarked on a journey to find the landing spot and establish a temple there.



After a long search, the arrow was found in Chime Lhakhang and was lying at the altar room of a girl - Pelsang Buti. Instantly gratified by the girl's commitment to his cause, Lama Kunley spent the night with her, after which she bore his offspring.

Till date the landing spot of the arrow is revered as the temple of fertility. The relic that is primarily worshipped there is his bow and arrow, and a phallic shaped 10-inch idol with a silver handle which is said to have been brought from Tibet.







Known in Bhutan as the 'Divine Madman,' Lama Kunley was renowned for his unorthodox lifestyle, flamboyant polygamy, rebellious ways, and infinite wisdom and poetry. Acclaimed as the saint of 5000 women, the monk propagated a life of wine, women, and free love as the path to wisdom.







His audacious lifestyle and successful demonstration of a remarkably liberal life turned the tables on orthodoxy and gave rise to free sexual expression. Thanks to Lama Kunley, the penis was soon widely seen in the village as a symbol of fertility and shield against one's evil eye.







Even today, the remnants of this glorious period of self expression can be seen in souvenir shops, homes, cafes, hotels, and so on.







Every year, swarms of childless couples and newlyweds hike to the Temple of Fertility at Chime Lhakhang in hopes of being blessed with an offspring. When their prayers are answered, the devotees come back to pay their respects and often add 'Kunley' to their child's name in honour of this eccentric prophet.







Still revered in Bhutan as a symbol of sexual freedom, the phallus graffiti in Bhutanese villages is a remnant of a glorious past only our ancestors could boast of.



A simpler and more liberal time, for sure.





H/T: Condé Nast