Healing the natural way

Two km from Khuruthang town in Punakha, on the bank of Punatsangchhu, is a huge stone bathtub believed to be some 500 years old. The tub, which is believed to have been carved by Lama Drukpa Kuenley, the Divine Madman, can hold 500 litres of water and accommodate six adults. Near the bathtub is a meditation cave carved into a huge rock which indicates that the tub had indeed been made by the lama. Today, after centuries of exposure to the elements, the tub has been battered out of shape.

The tub is originally believed to have been conch-shaped. The first flood in Punakha battered it and almost rendered it unusable. But the people of nearby Jimthang village mended it into a new shape. The 1994 flood wrought further damage to the tub. Had it not been for a huge rock that landed on the tub and protected it, it would have been disappeared, said Dorji from Jimthang village. Besides, every summer, as the water level rises, the tub is submerged bringing more damage to it.

Yet, it is popular among the people, who come every winter for a hot stone bath. Hot stone bath is a popular form of medication in Bhutan. It has been practised since time immemorial. There is no recorded history of its origin. Every winter, locals flock to the river bank for recreation and medication. They do not have to look for stones and water more than a few metres away from the tub.

Sangay, another villager from Jimthang, said every year he took the monks who performed his lochhoe (annual ritual) for a hot bath at the riverside.

Many people, who have taken a hot stone bath, say they have been cured of a certain illness. Hot stone bath is believed to cure many kinds of skin diseases because of certain mineral contents in the rocks, said Drungtsho Gembo Dorji of Institute of Traditional Medicine Services in Thimphu. He said water with different colours and taste can cure different diseases. However, no scientific research has been done on the medicinal benefits of hot stone bath.

However, traditionally, hot stone bath is believed to heal ailments like joint pains, hypertension, stomach disorder, arthritis and many minor diseases. Addition of aromatic herbs in the water is said to enhance the healing power of the bath. Hot stone bath is said to have no side effects. It is in its pure, natural form. The water is collected from a clear spring or river, which is free from chemical pesticides and industrial wastes, according to Drungtsho Gembo.

Like many families in his village, Ap Phub Tshering of Lumpa village has a wooden bathtub at his home. He prepares a hot stone bath when his family members get together for the annual ritual. Although preparing a bath for the whole family entails a lot of hard work, it is healthy and refreshing, he said.

The villagers believe that, the moment one is out of the tub, one should drink ara heated with egg and butter to avoid the risk of catching cold and to feel more relaxed.

According to Dr Tandin Dorji, an anthropologist, the culture of taking hot stone bath has been there in Bhutan since ancient times but no studies have been done on it so far.

Today, most tourist hotels in the country have some form of hot stone bath.

By Namgay Tshering