Overview Of Bhutan
Bhutan is the last of the small, hidden kingdoms in the Himalayas to unlock the doors to its mysteries. The Land of the Thunder Dragon, as its original name implies, has maintained its integrity and independence throughout the centuries, repelling invasions from the strongholds of its fortified monasteries, or “dzongs”. Bhutan’s 38,394 square kilometers are almost entirely mountainous, with the land rising from approximately 180 meters above sea level in the south to the over 7,000 meter snow peaks in the north. The higher regions of these mountains remain almost entirely free of the footprint of man, while the world of alpine meadows below belongs to the yak herders who bring up their herds for grazing amidst the rich grasslands and fields of wildflowers.
Bhutan is a land locked country, approximately 300 km from east to west and 150 km from north to south. It is situated along the southern slopes of the Himalayan range between the latitudes of 26 degrees 30’ North and 28 degrees 10’ North, and longitudes of 88 degrees 45’East to 92 degrees 25’ East. It is bounded by Tsang and Lho-Bag provinces of the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China in the north and north west, and the Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in the west, south and east.
The flora and fauna of Bhutan represents the most unspoiled example in the world today of the fast-disappearing Himalayan ecology. Brilliantly colored birds and butterflies are everywhere, along with endless species of flowers, whole mountain slopes covered with tree-size rhododendrons, including some of the rarest species in the Himalayas.
The people of Bhutan can be broadly divided into three main ethnic groups, though this distinction is becoming blurred due to inter-marriages taking place in modern times. The “Sharchops”, who live in the east of the country are believed to be the original inhabitants. The “Ngalongs”, who live mostly in western Bhutan, are the descendants of Tibetan immigrants who arrived in Bhutan from the 9th century. The “Lhotshampa”, who are of Nepalese origin, settled in the south of Bhutan in the late 19th century. The latter (“Lhotshampa” meaning Southern Bhutanese) are mostly Nepali speaking.
The Bhutanese architectural landscape is made up of chortens (stupas), stonewalls, temples, monasteries, fortresses, mansions and houses.
Bhutan is a remote, mysterious, exhilarating place to visit. It is the most unspoiled, beautiful, powerfully traditional country in the Himalayas, and possibly on earth. Over 72 per cent of the country is under forest cover, including 26 per cent categorized as protected areas, consisting of four national parks. Its allure has attracted visitors from far away places since the 17th century due to its pure and genuine cultural heritage. The merger of past and future is very visible in Bhutan. Thus, travel to Bhutan can be a gift of beauty, insight, and friendship to be treasured for a lifetime.
Gross National Happiness (Bhutan’s guiding philosophy)
Bhutan has always valued the happiness and prosperity of its people since time immemorial. However, the concept of Gross National Happiness materialized only in the mid 1980’s. It was His Majesty the Fourth King who declared the importance of economic self-reliance and happiness and prosperity of the people. His subsequent pronouncement of GNH being more important than GNP in 1986 has captured the imagination of scholars and policy makers across the globe.
In this age of globalization, Bhutan’s spiritual, cultural and traditional values continue to influence the lives of its people. Thus it was rightly said that Bhutan has one foot in the past and one in the future.
GNH concept, however, does not reject economic growth as being unimportant. However, it stresses the importance of continuing to seek a balance between the tangible and intangible components of development. Thus, true development of human society takes place only when material and spiritual development occur side by side to complement and reinforce each other.
The concept also places the individual at the centre of all development efforts and it recognizes that the individual has material, spiritual and emotional needs. It asserts that spiritual development cannot and should not be defined exclusively in material terms of the increased consumption of goods and services.
The key to the concept of GNH cannot be found in the conventional theories of development economists and in the application of such measures as utility functions, consumption preferences and propensities, and desire fulfillment. It resides in the belief that the key to happiness is to be found, once basic material needs have been met, in the satisfaction of non-material needs and in emotional and spiritual growth. The concept thus rejects the notion that there is a direct and unambiguous relationship between wealth and happiness. If such a correlation existed then those in the richest countries should be the happiest in the world.
Having accepted that the maximization of GNH is a philosophy and objective of the country’s development, it was felt necessary to more clearly identify the main areas, and create the condition to enable the people to attain greater happiness. Recognizing that the large range of factors contributes to human well-being and happiness and that it may not be possible to exhaustively define or list everything for the purpose of its development planning, four major areas are identified as the main pillars of GNH:
- Economic growth and development
- Preservation & promotion of cultural heritage
- Preservation & sustainable use of the environment
- Good governance
“Happiness should be of interest to any nations of the world regardless of religious creed or political ideologies”
People And Socity
The Three main ethnic groups, the “Sharchops”, “Ngalops” and the “Lhotsampas” (of Nepali origin) make up today’s Drukpa population. The earliest residents of Bhutan are the Sharchops whose origin can be traced to the tribes of northern Burma and northeast India. The Ngalops migrated from the plains of Tibet and brought Buddhism into the land. The other minority groups are the Bumthaps and the Khengpas of Central Bhutan, the Kurtoeps in Lhuentse, the Brokpas and the Bramis of Merak and Sakteng in eastern Bhutan, the Doyas of Samtse and finally the Monpas of Rukha villages in WangduePhodrang. Together the multiethnic Bhutanese population number just over 700,000.
In every Community People gather to discuss and improve the living surroundings and upgrade the communities’ hygiene. There is Co-operation and understanding which benefits both parties and helps our country stay clean and peaceful. The Law treats all men and woman equally; its provisions protect the rights and interests of women and children. They are actively involved in all areas of economic, political and social life as farmers, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, doctors, engineers and homemakers. Bhutanese women do not face any institutionalized form of discrimination- politically, socially, economically or legally.
Today Women are encouraged to work in decision making in higher level positions in the government. There is no significant preference for the male child over the female among most sections of the population and sex-biased abortions are unknown among the Bhutanese. The concept of the ‘head of households’ is a relative one. Household decision-making varies from one issue to another and on the capacity of the individual. There is no fixed appointment of roles to either the wife or the husband; man and woman share an understanding of equal work load in their own households today. In a case of divorce, laws provide fair share for equitable spousal and child support.
Culture And Tradition
Culture and religion Cradled in the folds of the Himalayas, Bhutan has relied on its geographic isolation to protect itself from outside cultural influences. A sparsely populated country bordered by India to the south, and China to the north, Bhutan has long maintained a policy of strict isolationism, both culturally and economically, with the goal of preserving its cultural heritage and independence. Only in the last decades of the 20th century were foreigners allowed to visit the country, and only then in limited numbers. In this way, Bhutan has successfully preserved many aspects of its culture, which dates directly back to the mid-17th century.
Modern Bhutanese culture derives from ancient culture. This culture affected the early growth of this country.Dzongkha and Sharchop, the principal Bhutanese languages, are closely related to Tibetan, and Bhutanese monks read and write the ancient variant of the Tibetan language, known as chhokey. The Bhutanese are physically similar to the Tibetans, but history does not record when they crossed over the Himalayas and settled in the south-draining valleys of Bhutan. Both Tibetans and Bhutanese revere the tantric guru, Padmasambhava, the founder of Himalayan Buddhism in the 8th century
It is practiced throughout the entire country by 75% of the inhabitants. Hinduism – closely related to Buddhism, is Bhutan’s second religion, practiced by about 25% of the population. Before Buddhism captured the heart of Bhutan, several forms of animistic religions were practiced. Minority groups still practice these traditions and rituals in some parts of the country.
Buddhism plays a fundamental role in the cultural, ethical and sociological development of Bhutan and its’ people. You see this in the reverence Bhutan’s inhabitants have for their land, other people and animals. To ensure that Buddhism stays vividly alive, one son from every family usually attends a monastic school. The three main themes of Buddhism are detachment, ephemerality and change/
Best Time To Visit Bhutan
Spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit Bhutan, particularly the months of October and November, when the skies are clear and you can get stunning views of the mountain peaks. For those who wish to catch a Bhutanese festival, especially the masked dance of the monks, the months to be there are October and March.
Bhutan’s climate ranges from tropical in the south, to temperate in the center of the country, to cold in the north. Weather can vary dramatically from place to place, day to day or even within the same day. In the Thimphu and Paro valleys, daytime temperature in winter averages 20° Centigrade during clear winter days but drops well below freezing during the night.
Mid December to early January can be beautifully clear and dry in Western Bhutan. Fluctuations are not so dramatic in summer and daytime temperatures often rise to 30° Centigrade.The Punakha and the central valleys tend to be warmer. The high mountain peaks are snow covered through the year and the mountain passes, especially Thrumsing La (between Bumthang and Mongar), can be treacherous during winter. Thimphu and Paro have light snowfall in winter, and once in a while comes a heavy snowstorm.
The rain laden monsoon winds hit Bhutan from late May to early October. Valleys in the inner mountains receive less than 800 millimeters of precipitation annually, while the lowlands receive as much as 5,500 millimeters. The views of the Himalayas are completely obscured by clouds and rain from May to August. The spectacular rhododendrons bloom in the verdant valleys in this season. Autumn, October and November, is mild and “fall colours” are dominant. Spring is multihued and can only be compared to an artist’s palette.