Bhutan At Glance

Facts about Bhutan

Hidden deep in the folds of Himalaya Mountains for years, Bhutan developed its own civilization the population of about 600,00 people, living in close harmony with nature, evolved a unique identity, derived largely from a rich religious and culture heritage. Today the world is seeing many exotic aspects of this kingdom.

Bhutan is increasingly known for its pure practice of Mahayana Buddhism in the tantric form, its untouched culture, its pristine ecology and wildlife, and the unparalleled scenic beauty of its majesty peaks and lush valleys. It is still, in many ways, a magical kingdom of the past.

It is a matter of great pride to the Bhutanese that their small kingdom was never colonized. Its ancient history, which is a mixed of the oral tradition and classical literature, tells of largely self-sufficient population, which has limited contact with the outside world until the turn of the century.

Among the earliest landmark of Bhutanese history visible today are two 7th Century monasteries, the Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro and Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang. Both these deeply revered monasteries have been preserved and developed over the centuries.

In the eight century Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava), established several scared religious sites, which are important places of pilgrimage for the Buddhist world today.

Perhaps the most dynamic era in Bhutanese history came in the 17th century with the arrival in 1616, of Shabdrung Nawang Namgyel, the great leader of the Drukpa School of Mahayana Buddhism.

Over the next 30years Shabdrung Nawang Namgyel unified the country and established the foundation for national governances and the Bhutanese identity. Starting with the Simtokha Dzong in Thimphu, the Shabdung constructed important dzongs, monasteries, and religious institution and firmly established Drukpa Kagyu as the state religion.

The Shabdrung also left as his legacy the Dual system of government the temporal and theocratic with Je Khenpo (The Chef Abbot) as the religious head and the temporal leader known as Desi. This system took Bhutan to the turn of the 19th century, until the birth of the Wangchuk dynasty and establishment of hereditary Monarchy in 1907.

The People
Bhutan’s population is, in many ways, one largely family. More than 90 percent of the people live on subsistence farming, scattered in sparsely populated villages across the rugged terrain of the Himalayas.

With rice as the staple diet in the lower regions, and wheat, buckwheat, and maize in the other villages, the people farm narrow terraces cut into steep hill slopes. Bhutanese communities settled in the valleys with limited communication in the past. It is for this reason that the sense of individuality and independence emerges as a strong characteristic of the people.

It is for the same reason that, despite the small population, it has developed a number of languages and dialects. The Bhutanese are, by nature, physically strong and fiercely independent with an open and ready sense of hum our. Hospitality is an in-built social value in Bhutan.

A Spiritual Nation
Just as the kingdom’s history is characterized by religious landmarks, the influence of religion is highly visible in everyday life of the lay population. Bhutan is a spiritual nation. Hundred of sacred monasteries, stupas, religious institution, prayers flags and prayer wheels which dot the countryside provide a strong infrastructure and atmosphere for the teaching of their living faith.

Both urban and rural Bhutan, religious ceremonies and rituals are performed here regularly and with reverence. On auspicious days Bhutanese families make pilgrimages to monasteries to offer prayers and butter lamps. The horoscope of Bhutanese life is drawn from the scriptures. National and relational festivities, coinciding with the season, are major events for the entire population of the year around. The Buddhist world, thus, regards the kingdom with special importance as the last bastion of the Mahayana Buddhism. Earlier this century, an ethic Nepalese minority, settled in the southern region of the country, brought Hinduism which is regarded in Bhutan as being as close related to Buddhism.

A Rich Culture
 Bhutanese languages and literature, the arts and crafts, ceremonies and events, and basic social and cultural values draw their essence from religious teachings. The tradition of art is alive today, manifested, for example, in product like the legendary thanks. The exquisite tradition painting is also visible on monasteries and houses, skillfully enhancing the architecture.

Architecture is also a significant feature of the Bhutanese identity. The combination of engineering skill and aesthetic beauty is unparallel in all structures, from the massive monastic fortress to houses and bridges. Traditional shapes, colours and patterns on the walls, doors, windows, places Bhutanese architecture in class of its own.

Music, dance, and handicraft, both by the clergy and the lay population, play an important role in nation, village, or domestic functions and festivals. Bhutan’s textile tradition has, in recent years, gone international. The distinct technique, colour and style of indigenous Bhutanese weaving are being increasingly appreciated by textile specialties, collectors, and users.

The national language of Bhutan is Dzongkha. The people also speak more than 18 dialects across the country. Today, English is taught in the schools and is use as the official working language, but the national leader emphasis the development and use of dzongkha.
The riches patterns and colours of Bhutan’s national dress, know gho for men and kira for women, can be seen during times of festivals and other social gatherings.

Environment
Bhutan has been described as a natural paradise. Even as the world mourns the loss of its ecology, this small Himalayan kingdom is emerging as an example to the international community, with more than 72 percent of its land still under forest and a great variety of rare plant and wildlife species. Wedged between China and India, Bhutan’s terrain ranges from the sub-tropical foothill in the south, through the temperate zones, to dizzying highest of over 7,300 meters (24,000 feet). In historical records Bhutan was know as Lhojong Menjong ‘the southern valley of medicinal Herbs’ besides these rare herbs, the Bhutanese seasons are reflected in full colour by wind flowers and plant which carpet the mountainsides. Among them, Rhododendron of numerous shades and the Blue Poppy, the national flower, are visual delight across the country. The dense forest, also ranging from the sub-tropical to the temperate, are home to numerous rate and endangered species of wildlife like the blue sheep, the elusive Snow Leopard, the Himalayan Black Bear, the Golden Langur, the Takin. Several northern valleys are home to the Black Necked Crane in winter. With the beauty of the majestic snow-capped peaks and fertile valleys, the clean crisp air, unpolluted habitats, and large tracts of virgin forest, Bhutan is, indeed, a unique world.

Climate
Southern Bhutan has a tropical climate with hot humid monsoon. Spring in the high valleys (Mid-March to May) has a warm days (20o Celsius) and the cool nights. June marks the being of summer when day temperature s warm up to 27-27o Celsius. By July, the rainy season starts and continues till mid-September. The Autumn months of September to November are ideal for trekking with clear blue skies and mild weather. In December temperatures fall, but the days are warmer and clear, azure winter skies serve a striking background to the snowcapped peaks.

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