Welcome to Bhutan
Country Location
In ancient Tibet Bhutan was referred to as “Lho Menjong” or the Southern Land of Medicines. Bhutanese are fond of calling their country Druk Yul, the Land of Thunder Dragon. To the outside world, the country is known by the name Bhutan, which has its roots in the sanskirt word “Boo-tan”, meaning the highlands.
Located in the eastern part of the Himalayan mountain range, Bhutan is a land-locked country bounded by Tibet (China) to the north and India to the south. Roughly the size of Switzerland, the kingdom has remained isolated due to the high peaks to the north and dense jungles to the south.
The People
Bhutan is a sparsely populated country with total population of about 700,000 (and population density of 14 person per sq. km.) Bhutan has two main ethnic groups, namely, Drukpas and Lhotsampas. Drukpas are Buddhists of Mongolian race who had first settled in the inner Himalayan valleys before recorded history. On the other hand Lhotsampas are mostly practicing Hindus of Aryan origin. More than three quarters of the population are engaged in agriculture.
Culture and Tradition
Bhutan has been in a time warp for centuries due to its geographical remoteness. In isolation, culture and tradition in Bhutan has evolved in its own unique way. Buddhism plays a big role in Bhutanese culture and way of life.
What is more amazing about Bhutanese culture is that it has made it into the 21st Century with little or no change since the days of Shakespeare, so to say. Having never been colonized, Bhutanese are fiercely independent and proud of their culture and traditions. They seldom accept outside ideas or concepts simply because they come from developed countries.
Festivals
Festivals in Bhutan can be grouped into two kinds: secular and religious. National Day (17th December) and His Majesty’s BIrthday (11th November) are celebrated through out the country with parade and dance. Other important secular festivals are Losar(Lunar New Year), Thri(Blessed Rainy Day) and Nyilo(Winter Solstice). Such traditional festivals are celebrated with archery matches and dancing.
Religious festivals are numerous and they are celebrated in different times of the year in different parts of the country. Tshechu (literal translation meaning tenth day) is the most popular festival where people celebrate the good deeds of Guru Rinpoche (who is believed to be born on tenth day also) through mask dances. In western Bhutan, another important religious festival is Dromche, a mask dance festival, which is performed in honour of Yeshe Gonpo and Palden Lhamo, the two protecting deities of Bhutan. Usually, Dromche is performed together with Tshechu in western valleys of Punakha, Wangdue, Paro and Thimphu.
Architecture
Bhutanese are the great builders of the Himalayas. Good examples of Bhutanese architecture are Dzongs(fortresses), chortens (stupas), temples, monasteries, mansions and houses. Although there was some initial Tibetan influence through the centuries, due to the wet climate of country and the availability of wood, Bhutanese architecture has developed its own forms and themes. Bhutanese use wood extensively, carving on them and then painting on the wood to give a very colourful and charming buildings.
Environment
Bhutan has been identified as part of one of the 10 global ” hot-spots” for the conservation of bio-diversity, given in the extremely rich bio-diversity and the potential danger to an invaluable global resource. The environment in Bhutan is still in a relatively pristine condition there are slowly emerging environmental problems of soil erosion, land and forest degradation and growing urbanization. The government has also maintained very high goals of keeping 60% of forest cover for perpetuity including 26%as protected areas, sanctuaries, reserves or parks. More recently additional areas have been designated as biological corridors.
