Bhutanese temple goes up on the Mall

ByABC News
June 19, 2008, 10:37 PM

— -- A temple is being built on the National Mall a real temple, not just another museum. As part of the 42nd annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which this year includes a celebration of the culture of the little-known Kingdom of Bhutan, carpenters from the Himalayan kingdom are helping build an authentic Bhutanese lhakhang, or temple, along with other examples of Bhutanese architecture.

Built with traditional tools and materials, the temple will be one of the largest traditional buildings ever erected on the Mall. The heart of Bhutanese spiritual life, it is also the heart of the exhibit, Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon, the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of Bhutanese life and culture ever presented outside the kingdom.

The festival will be open June 25 through June 29 and again July 2 through July 6 on the Mall. Admission is free. For information, visit folklife.si.edu/festival/2008/index.html.