12/05/2014
Bhutan Overview
The Kingdom of Bhutan is best known by the outside world for being the happiest place on earth. It is easy to understand why once you experience the pristine environment, blue skies and gushing river that runs through this country nestled between India, China and Nepal. But it is not just the lush environment that keeps Bhutanese happy, grounded and content.
Bhutan “Land of the Thunder Dragon” is a sovereign nation, located towards the eastern extreme of the Himalayas mountain range. It is situated between India and Chinese-occupied Tibet with an approximate nation’s territory of 46,500 square kilometers. The 750,000 strong populations made up of a vast majority of Buddhist followers are deep-set in its faith and exudes a strong sense of tradition. This deep-rooted faith translates into laws that protect forests and forbid hunting or the exploration of scared mountains. This strong sense of tradition is seen in in festivals where Bhutanese gather, regardless of their socioeconomic background, to show their devotion to their faith. There is really no better way to experience their culture and spiritual fervor than by visiting the place during a festival.
Natural geography
Because of its inland, landlocked status, it controls no territorial waters. Bhutan is divided into 20 Dzongkhags (districts) and further into 205 gewogs (village blocks). Geowogs are in turn divided into numerous thromdes (municipalities) for administration.
The Himalaya Mountains of Bhutan dominate the north of country, where peaks can easily reach 7,000 meters (22,966 ft.): the highest point in Bhutan is Gangkhar Puensum, which has the distinction of being the highest unclimbed mountain in the world, at 7,570 meters (24,840 ft.) Weather is extreme in the mountains: the high peals have perpetual snow, and the lesser mountains and hewn gorges have high wined all year round, making them barren brown wind tunnels in summer, and frozen wasteland in winter. The blizzards generated in the north each winter often drift southward in the central highlands.
Culture and Tradition
Buddhism is practiced throughout the country. The “Drukpa Kagyu” school of Ta***ic Mahayana Buddhism which is similar to the Buddhism of Tibet is retained as Bhutan’s official religion. The Buddhist faith plays a fundamental role in the cultural, ethical and sociological development of Bhutan and its people. It permeates all strands of secular life, bringing with it a reverence for the land and its wellbeing. Annual festivals (Tshechus and Dromchoes) are spiritual occasions in each district. They bring together the population and are dedicated to the Guru Rinpoche or protective deities.
Bhutanese people
All Bhutanese citizens are required to abide the national dress code, known as Driglam Namzha,. The rule is enforced more rigorously in some districts (dzongkhag) than others. Men wear a heavy knee-length robe tied with a belt, called a gho, folded in such a way to form a pocket in front of the stomach. Woman wear colorful blouses over which they fold and clasp a large rectangular cloth called a kira, thereby creating an ankle-length dress. A short silk jacket, or toego may be worn over the kira. Everyday gho and kira are cotton or wool, according to the season, patterned in simple stripes in earth tones. For special occasions and festivals, colorfully patterned silk kira and, more rarely, gho may be worn. Additional rules of protocol apply when visiting a dzong or a temple, or when appearing before a high level official. Male commoners wear a white sash (kabney) from left shoulder to opposite hip. Local and regional elected officials, government ministers, cabinet members, and the King himself each wear their own colored kabney. Women wear a narrow embroidered cloth draped over the left shoulder, a rachu. Bhutan’s official language is Dzongkha. Given the geographic isolation of many of Bhutan’s highland villages, it is not surprising that a number of different dialects have survived.
