Thimphu Chorten at 8 AM on the 5th of November, 2009.

People circumambulating the Chorten, as buddhists do. Because of location, the Thimphu Chorten is the most popular place of worship in Thimphu.

The Thimphu Chorten is a magnificent piece of architecture.

The Khandroma (Dakini) statue offering water to the Chorten. Somebody has finally clothed the statue.

Pigeons looking for Tashi Gyalpo.

Tashi Gyalpo is 45, and he is from Mongar. Every morning he collects leftover rice from the police camp across the road, and feeds the piegons.

Remains of the Thnagrong Lhakhang.

Inside the Thangrong lhakhang.

Thangrong lhakhang, another view.

The kitchen staff at the Thangrong Community School split firewood to prepare dinner. Behind them, the store is partially damaged by the earthquake.

Thangrong is under Mongar dzongkhag in eastern Bhutan.

People used these kind of tarps to make temporary shelter. Most lost their homes, while others were too scared of the aftershocks to sleep indoors.

This house in Dramitse was one of the several majorly damaged houses.

Royal Bhutan Army and students of the Vocational Training Institute at work to clear the debris, and help rebuild homes.

Almost all the houses damaged were built of stone.

Crude building techniques were recognised as one important reason for not being able to withstand the earthquake.

Even the earth bore the blunt of the earthquake in Narang.

A video journalist capturing the devastation.

This beautiful chorten in Narang was split through the middle.

Corners, to the back – these parts of the house were first to fall.

Most modern government infrastructure like schools and hospitals also crumbled due to the earthquake. Even concrete and steel of this Basic Health Unit wasn’t able to withstand the earthquake.

The earthquake exposed the shoddy work done by our contractors.

Remains of the Basic Health Unit in Yangnear.

The beautiful Yangneer lhakhang was one of the many temples destroyed by the quake.

Trashigang dzong, as seen from Yangneer.

Cracks on the walls inside the Trashigang dzong.

The remains of the chorten below the Trashigang dzong, on the old approach route.

Cracks on the walls of the Lhuentse dzong.

These stone steps in the Lhuentse dzong had sunk into the earth.

The mask dances are performed to the music played by these monks.

In between the religious mask dances, traditional secular folk dances are also performed.

This is an Atsara. Atsara is a clown, but if you dig deeper, they have a very significant role to play.

The dancers wear very colourful and elaborate costumes to perform the chham – the dance.

The chham or the dance is a series of very intricate circular movement with varying tempo.

A chham can last from 15 minutes to over an hour.

The monks who perform the dance go through strict spiritual mediation before performing the dance.

An Atsara having a drink of dachu (whey) during a break.

Most Atsaras carry wooden phalluses. They provide the lightness to the otherwise serious festival.

The Atsaras are very popular with tourists.

Thousands of people gather at the Dzong to witness these dances.

The Thimphu Tshechu is a major tourist attraction.

A senior monk performing the wine (duetsi) ceremony during the dances.

According to Bhutanese etiquette, u cannot wear any hat or an umbrella, come rain or shine. But children can.

Zuel chham or the the exit dance.

A dancer being helped out of his mask after the performance.

Monks watching out for the backstage.

A monk who just performed is seen drinking Red Bull. Changing times.

The 1 year old Tendril Thang at the Thimphu Tashichhodzong has very good facilities for the spectators as well as the performers.

A dancer just finishing his performance entering the changing room backstage.

Younger monks helping the performers.

During the zuel chham, all the performers dance one at a time, making their exit.

During the zuel chham, all the performers dance one at a time, making their exit.

The chham is not an easy dance to perform.

Monks go thhrough years of intensive mental and physical training before they can perform the dance.

It requires much physical endurance to be able to perform the chham.

It requires much physical endurance to be able to perform the chham.