Culture

Bhutan Culture
Ensconced comfortably in the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is widely referred to as the 'abode of gods' not only because its surrounding exude a heavenly quality, but also because of the religious and spiritual zenith, that is comfortably attained here by souls in search of peace. Though small in its total area and bordered by the huge countries of India and China, Bhutan and its people have constantly persevered to retain there own distinct identity, and have emerged immensely successful in carving a niche reputation for themselves throughout the world.

People of Bhutan
The people of Bhutan owe their uniqueness and individuality depending upon the area in which they reside. Till date, Bhutanese live in valleys separated by formidable mountain passes and remain practically oblivious of what is sweeping the world outside their country. The total population of the Bhutanese Kingdom can be divided into three ethnic groups - the Nepalese farmer group who were responsible for bringing Hinduism to Bhutan occupy most of the southern region; the Drukpa people trace their origin from the Mongols and inhabit the central region; the Sharchops belong to the Indo Mongolian category and occupy the eastern region of the country.

Taking a broader perspective, Lamaist Buddhist form the largest religious group followed distantly by the Hindus (Nepalese influenced). These people speak various languages like Tibetan dialects ( spoken by the Drukpas) and the Nepalese dialects (spoken by Nepalese) but the official language status has been accorded to just one language and that is Dzongkha. Most of these people live in the rural areas and earn their livelihood through agriculture and other similar occupation. Though this is not indicative of the backwardness of the country because dependence on agriculture has made them self sufficient as far as their basic food requirements are concerned. Also, there is a considerable portion of this population that has migrated to the more developed cities in search of better jobs. In fact, tourists are pleasantly surprised when they find monks rewriting ancient Buddhist text into laptop.

The dresses worn by the people are as traditional as the people themselves with the men wearing what is widely known as 'gho', a knee length robe that is tied around the waist. 'Kira' is the traditional dress for women which is an ankle length dress worn with a short jacket. While talking about the people, we just cannot afford to leave out their fooding habits. Bhutanese food too, is traditional with a lot chilly mixed into it. Chillies, in Bhutan is not merely a spice, rather it is a vegetable. The staple diet includes red or white rice and chillies while the most popular of all the vegetarian dishes is the 'ema datse' which is chillies and cheese. Non vegetarian items like pork, beef and yak meat are also widely liked by the Bhutanese.

Moving on, the art form of the people of Bhutan is heavily influenced by their religion, Buddhism. Buddhist impression are widely seen in the dance, music, painting or for that matter any other art form of the people.

Architecture in Bhutan
Bhutanese architecture, as the people of the country, is distinctive with its own style and speciality. Timber is widely used n theconstruction work. The most prominent of Bhutanese architecture are the Dzongs or the huge fortress that serve administrative,military and religious purpose for the people. These Dzongs are usually square or oblong with stonewalls, high windows and gently sloping roofs. Inside, a huge tower stands tall right in middle of the courtyard which in turn is surrounded by two or three stoteyed buildings. The upper floors of this tower houses the temples.

Another, and probably even more prominent architecture in Bhutan is seen in the Chortens which resemble a lot with the Stupas in India. Serving religious purpose, these Chortens are built in different ways keeping in mind various models like the Bodnath model of Nepal, Tibetan model and lastly the Bhutanese models.

Typical Bhutanese houses are made on a stone foundation which rises 40- 80 cms above the ground. These walls are built of rammed mud or are half timbered with wooden shutters in windows that face south.

The temples and monasteries of Bhutan are also built in the same way as other structures with the only difference lying in their rich exteriors and interiors.

Festivals in Bhutan
With the people of Bhutan being deeply rooted to their religion and culture, it is all the more obvious that the festivals have tremendous significance in their life. The most important festival of Bhutan is Tsechu which is celebrated in respect of Guru Padamsambhava, who introduced Nyingma school of Buddhism in the country. The festival is celebrated for around three to five days with much zeal and fervour with local people dressing up in colourful dresses and enjoying themselves to the maximum. Apart from Tsechu, there are other festivals celebrated in the country as well. These include Tamshing Phala festival, Jambay Lakhang Drup, Tangbi Mani and Punakha Domchoe. For any tourist visiting Bhutan during its festive season, a lot of enthusiasm and merryment is in store.