The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Revamped market complex Opens with Nu 118 mllion investment, bringing modern facilities and sustainability to the forefront
On 17 July 2024, Kaja Throm, previously known as the Centenary Farmers Market (CFM), was inaugurated by the Prime Minister. This milestone marks a significant transformation in Thimphu’s urban landscape, aligning with the Thimphu Structure Plan 2023-2047, which envisions the city core as the heart of the capital where leisure, culture, knowledge, employment, and tourism economies converge.
The Thimphu Structure Plan identifies the city core as a pivotal area for fostering good growth in the right places. It aims to ensure equitable access to high-quality, affordable homes, community facilities, and education. “The city core needs to be a great place to live,” said an official, emphasizing the importance of creating a vibrant and inclusive community.
Kaja Throm stands as a central destination within the city core, attracting significant pedestrian traffic due to its market and nearby attractions. Designated as the Market Quarter, this area will undergo transformation through the enhancement of existing street markets and the creation of a pedestrian-oriented public realm that connects these activities to the riverside.
“The Market Quarter will integrate surrounding assets such as the stadium, riverside park system, and proposed Cultural and Financial Quarters, creating an improved public realm that protects and enhances heritage assets,” the official said.
The revitalization of the former CFM began in August 2022, spearheaded by the Department of Human Settlement with support from the Department of Infrastructure Development and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
A group of over seven private architects, led by Pem Gyeltsen, contributed the concept design to the project. “The revitalised Kaja Throm provides spaces for vegetable vendors, including farmers from neighboring Dzongkhags, along with facilities for deliveries, waste management, and other supporting services,” an official said.
The upgraded Kaja Throm now features street-based markets in new urban spaces, with the first floor housing a food market run by youths from the DeSuung Skilling Programme, serving as an anchor for the Market Quarter. The project, which spanned from August 2022 to June 2024, was funded by a grant of Nu 118 million from the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB).
More than 35 skilled workers, assisted by 215 DeSuups, worked on the project, with 32 DeSuups currently at the site.
Kaja Throm today has a total of 442 stalls (175 on the first floor and 267 on the ground floor), 27 dry stores, two cold storage facilities, 12 DSP food stalls, one stall for dairy products, six restroom areas (including facilities for differently-abled individuals), and dedicated areas for loading, unloading, and waste management.
In an effort to support local communities, bamboo mats and baskets used for cladding stalls and light pendants in the Local Produce Section on the first floor were produced by a community in Zhemgang through the Tarayana Foundation.
Sustainability was also a key focus, with the DeSuung Skilling Programme installing 572 solar panels on the roof, generating 358 kW of power, and producing 501,772 units of solar energy annually.
Expressing his joy, the Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay wrote, “The Thimphu Kaja Throm was inaugurated this morning. I am impressed by the remarkable transformation of the former vegetable and meat market into a clean, beautiful, and lively complex. I would say it is now arguably the best vegetable and meat market in the world, and it represents what we can achieve if we commit ourselves to fulfilling the noble aspirations of His Majesty The King.”
“I commend all individuals involved in the project and urge everyone to draw inspiration from the Kaja Throm. Let us apply the same dedication and hard work across all our endeavors, whether in the civil service, business, corporate arena, or agricultural work,” the Prime Minister added.
