Bjagay Menchu in Paro is a popular medicinal spring water blessed by Lama Drukpa Kunley which heals fractured bones and arthritis. The Menchu is located in Jieu Dado of Lungnyi Gewog under Paro Dzongkhag at 2110 masl and is well-known as the bone-healing Menchu.
It is a popular destination for people looking for a natural remedy through soaking in medicinal water, and it is renowned for its healing properties. Every day, people with complications like arthritis and broken bones travel from all around the country to the Menchu.
Menchus are also popular in Bhutan just like Tshachu and Drupchhu. It is found in various locations in the country. People soak in the Menchus because they believe it can cure diseases like arthritis, body aches, and sinusitis.
How to Reach Paro Bjagay Menchu
The Menchu is located at Jiwphu, about 10 kilometers towards Chelela from Paro Bondey. The drive along the Paro-Haa highway towards Chelayla from Paro Bondey Town to Jaagey Menchu will take About half an hour.
The Menchu is near the road, so people with physical disabilities also visit it. On weekends and national holidays, it is usually crowded with visitors.
Also Read: Guru Rinpoche in Bhutan: His Visits to Bhutan and Sacred Sites
Historical Background of Bjagay Menchu
The Menchu is sacred because it is believed to have been blessed by Choje Drukpa Kinley in the 15th century.
Later, the lama of Dzongdrakha discovered the Menchu. It is said that the lama came across a vulture with broken wings taking water from a rock and soaking its injured wing in the spring water from time to time. The lama found that the vulture had completely healed after a few days, and the vulture flew away as if it had never been injured. The story spread far and wide about the healing power of that water, and people with fractured bones visited the spring to take a hot stone bath. This is how the Menchu got its name Bjagoed Menchu, which translates to “a vulture’s medicinal water” or the “medicinal water of a vulture.”
Also Read: Menchu or Medicinal Springs in Bhutan: Beliefs and Benefits
Organoleptic Properties of Bjagay Menchu
The organoleptic properties of Bjagay Menchu are not available.
Therapeutic Values or Ethnopharmacological Uses of Bjagay Menchu
Bjagay Menchu treats fractures, arthritis, ulcers, cardiac diseases, and physical wounds. People say Menchu is best for bone-related issues and effectively healing fractures.
There are many incidents where people who could barely stand could walk on their own after soaking in the Menchu for some days. The majority of the visitors are people who had broken bones and injuries due to accidents.
Description of Bjagoe Menchu
The Menchu pond is enclosed to protect the medicinal spring water and the marshes. Even today, the imprint of the vulture’s claw is still visible. The Menchu underwent a substantial makeover in 2017. The UNDP’s Global Environmental Facility – Small Grants Programme funded a project that installed water-heating stoves and solar-powered water-heating systems.
Bjagoed Menchu has guest rooms, proper bath facilities, toilets, and electricity. The Menchu facility is leased out to a local, who has employed a few staff members to manage waste, run a canteen, heat the stones, fill and clean the baths at night, and maintain the lavatory facilities.
There are eight bathhouses and rooms with a wooden tub. A room with a tub costs Nu 1500 per day (eight hours). A family of five members can use the bathroom and the room together. During the summer, visitors can use the bathhouse from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. After 5 pm, day visitors can use the service. It costs Nu 1000 for day visitors who do not stay overnight to use a single bathhouse for three hours.
Also Read: Aja Menchu, the Medicinal Spring Water at Aja Ney
Accommodation at Paro Jagay Menchu
There are eight guesthouses, a common toilet, and a canteen. The rooms have plug points for you to bring your cooking appliances. You can also order food and beer from the canteen.
However, there are certain dos and don’ts that the Menchu visitors must strictly follow while in and around the vicinity of the Menchu. People cannot cut trees around the Menchu vicinity. They are also not allowed to cook meat and fish items.
For more information, call 17429334/17882255 (B-mobile) or 77295508/77627977 (T-cell) for booking.
Best Time to Visit Bjagay Menchu, Paro
People visit throughout the year as the Menchu is suitable for any season and there’s no better time to visit and soak in the medicinal spring water. Many locals are seen visiting the Menchu, especially during the winter season. You can visit major medicinal spring waters in Bhutan with the Bhutan Pilgrimage Package.
