BHUTAN

The altitude varies from 300m to 8,500m in the Himalayan
plateau in the north, and there are three distinct climatic zones:
tropical, temperate and polar. Each zone has the highest density of
rare herbs, flowers, birds and animals. The forest covers 72% of the
territory, making Bhutan one of the world’s ten biodiversity hotspots,
being home to 200 species of mammals, 770 species of birds and
5,000 species of plants. One of the ancient names for Bhutan was
“the land of medicinal herbs” because they exported them to Tibet
and China. The country received the Earth award in 2005 from the
United Nations Program. Buddhism absorbed many characteristics
from its predecessor, the religion “bon”, which is from where it
inherited its strong animistic elements. All natural formations such
as plains, mountains trees and valleys are perceived as Gods and
are worshiped as such. The Bhutanese believe that divine retribution
would strike upon them in the form of illness and bad harvest, if for
any reason, they were to hinder or cripple nature in any way. Given
the geographic isolation of many highland villages, there are almost
twenty different languages spoken with distinct dialects between
the valleys, with the official one being Dzongkha (the language
spoken in the monasteries-Dzongs). English is taught in schools and
is used as the official working language. The income of the country
comes from agriculture, tourism and the export of hydroelectric
energy to India who has played a major role in the development
of the country. Bhutan also receives aid from United Nations,
European Community, USA, WWF, Switzerland, Japan, Canada and
other countries.
Nearly 80% of the population lives in villages, working mainly
in agriculture, the raising of livestock and forestry. The people are
genuine, friendly, hospitable, generous and have a great sense of
humor, while maintaining integrity and harmony in their way of
life. Hospitality is a built-in social value in Bhutan. They are deeply
religious and their everyday lives are very much influenced by
Buddhism. They unquestionably follow the time-honored customs
of their families. They believe in reincarnation and try to improve
themselves through good actions and performance of rituals. The
hanging out of prayer flags is another way they believe one can
acquire good karma. They enjoy sports, the national sport being
archery, and never miss an opportunity to sing and dance. Archery is
the only Olympic sport the country has ever participated in, since it
first competed in 1984. Bhutanese society is comprised of a mosaic
of different ethnic groups. There are three broad ethnic groups: The
Drukpa people who live in the central Himalayan region and are of
Mongolian origin. The Sharchops in the Northern Himalayan zone,
which is over an altitude of 3,000m, who are Indo-Mongolian origin
and are mainly nomadic yak herdsmen, believed to be the earliest
inhabitants of the country, and the Nepalese farmers who live in
the south and arrived in the country at the end of the 19th century.
The Nepalese brought the Hindu religion as well as their language,
which is still spoken today.
The most striking physical feature of Bhutan’s identity is its
architecture, the characteristic style and color of every building
and house in the kingdom is a distinct source of aesthetic pleasure.
The combination of engineering skill
and aesthetic beauty is unparalleled.
The buildings are robust handsome
and ornate. Bhutan villages can feel like
outdoor art museums. The farmhouses
are relatively spacious, built of timber and
stone and have thick, pounded mud walls
to keep out the cold. Most such houses have two stories; livestock
are kept on the ground floor, while the family lives above. The best
room of the house is the altar room which is specially decorated.
The houses are very nicely painted, both inside and outside, with
typical designs to ward off evil spirits. Dragons, lions, birds killing
snakes, and flying phalluses (not for fertility but for protection) are
all common. Farmhouses are not built by a family alone; in fact
everyone from the village participates in the construction, proving
the importance of cooperation.
For centuries, Bhutan was made up of feuding regions, until it
was unified under King Ugyen Wangchuck in 1907. It was then ruled
by a series of highly educated and beloved Kings, who had chosen
to live very simply and were always far more concerned with the
welfare of their subjects than court rituals. The man behind opening
Bhutan to the world and changing the political status, is the former
King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, whose ambition since his 1974
coronation has been to modernize the country without destroying
its cultural heritage. In an interview to a New York Times reporter
in 1991 he said “We do not have military muscle. We cannot play a
dominant international role because of our small size and population,
and because we are a landlocked country. The only factor which can
strengthen Bhutan’s sovereignty and our different identity is the unique
culture we have”. By law all buildings, whether large monasteries
or private houses, had to conform to the traditional design and
everyone had to wear the national costume, which is the “gho” for
men and the “kira” for women, in an effort to preserve the culture of
the country. In 2005 he decided to abdicate the throne and move
towards a democratic constitutional monarchy by 2008. As of March
2008, the new King is his Oxford educated son Jigme Khesar Namgyal
Wangchuck and the country, after the elections, has changed from
an absolute monarchy to a democracy
THE CULTURE: The country today possesses the world’s purest
Tantric Buddhist culture transmitted unbroken from generation
to generation since the 7th century. Bhutanese language and
literature, the arts and crafts, ceremonies and events, and social and
cultural values draw their essence from
the religion. Government policy, royal
patronage and the faith of the people
have ensured their preservation and
promotion. Their art has strong Tibetan
influences; it is anonymous and mostly
religious. Art and paintings are important
aspects of Bhutanese culture and they depict the spiritual depth of
Bhutanese life. Artistic talent is associated with spiritual achievement.
The traditional skills or crafts often pass down to families with longstanding
relations to a particular craft. Bhutan boasts an unparalleled
wealth in its cottage industry. Its fine handicrafts of wood and
bamboo, ornaments of gold and silver and highly developed
weaving skills represent an advanced art form. Fabrics are woven at
home – fibers used are cotton, silk and wool while dyes are extracted
from plants, herbs and minerals. The knowledge of dyeing-a well
kept secret- is passing from one generation of women to another.
THE RELIGION: Bhutan is the only country in the world to retain
the Tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism as its official religion, which
is everywhere and is an important part of everyday life. The presence
of 2,000 monasteries, 10,000 shrines (chortens) and more than
6,000 monks, is indicative of the important role it plays and how it
influences every aspect of life, from birth to death. The introduction
of Buddhism occurred in the 7th century. Buddhism replaced but did
not eliminate the Bon religious practices. In
747, the Buddhist saint, Padmasambhava,
known in Bhutan as Guru Rimpoche,
came to Bhutan (legend says that he
came riding on a flying tigress) at the
invitation of one of the numerous local
kings. After reportedly subduing demons
and converting the king, Guru Rimpoche moved on to Tibet. Upon
his return, he constructed new monasteries in Paro Valley and set up
his headquarters in Bumthang. He is the most important figure for
the Bhutanese. Monks join the monastery at six to nine years of age,
an act that brings great prestige and religious merit to the families.
They learn to read the language of the ancient sacred texts, as well
as Dzongkha and English. Eventually they will choose between two
possible paths: either to study theology and Buddhist theory, or
take the more common path of leaving the monastery and become
proficient in the rituals and personal practices of the faith. They don’t
take their monastic vows until the age of twenty, so they have plenty
of time to decide what they want to do with their lives.
Religious festivals known as “Tsechus” and “Domchoes” symbolize
amity, peace and compassion and are held annually in dzongs and
temples throughout Bhutan. They have remained unchanged for
hundreds of years. During the festival,
rare and sacred masked dances, sword
dances and many rituals are performed
by gomchen, (layman monks) in fabulous
costumes and masks creating a splendid
display of gods, heroes, demons and
animals. Villagers come, mostly on foot,
from miles around, to gain blessings from the attendance at these
rites and it is also an opportunity for them to take a brake from
work, dress in their finest clothes and enjoy the companion of
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