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Important Links Drukair - Royal Bhutan Airline Media
Kuensel Bhutan Times
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Bhutan and its uniqueness
Media brings us details about what is going on around the world, most people have never even heard of Bhutan. This leaves one guessing that there are some unexplored spot on earth. “Bhutan” derived from the Sanskrit bhu-uttan meaning “the high country”. Bhutan is also known as “The Land of Thunder dragon“and often describe to as “The Last Shangri-La on Earth.”
Till 19th & 20th centuries hardly any western world knew it except for the dignitaries and envoys from British India. Bhutan is certainly an extraordinary destination within the Great Himalayan chain, wedged between the global giants…China in the north and India in the south. The kingdom of Bhutan is perched on the mighty Himalayan range, often described as a “Hidden paradise” accessible only to fortunate few. Many tourists after stepping in Bhutan describe it as the 16th Century museum. Foreigners who have visited Bhutan once come back again.
It is one of the smallest kingdoms with an area of 38,396 sq. km located in the Eastern Himalayas. This remote Himalayan mountain kingdom is a jewel of Buddhism. Independent since 8th century and with age-old traditions very much alive, Bhutan is unique example of original Himalayan culture, a priceless asset in the modern world which seems to be shrinking day by day as large jets deposit thousands of tourists to every corner of the earth.
An amazing 64 percent of Bhutan is under forest cover and the government is committed to keeping at least 60 percent of that forest intact all times to come.
Bhutan is often compared to Switzerland on its look and size but jealously guards its lifestyle and ancient tradition and culture, opening its doors only with caution and wisdom. The visitor who visits will discover its valley, mountains, natural forest, and its fortress and countryside an unending symphony of light, shapes and colours. The panoramic beauty of it cannot be described with the writing or with pictures. The travelers visiting will have chance to see by themselves the kindness, warmth and attentiveness of the humblest Bhutanese people, the houses with brightly decorated window frames and shingles roofs, patch works of green paddy fields, plots of tawny buckwheat, a woman weaving in their modest house, oak forest and covered bridges, shepherds, cowherds looking after Brown Swiss cows, horses, yaks browsing in a grove of beautiful rhododendrons. You will be seeing chortens, fluttering pray flags, prayer wheelers turned by the mountain stream, the monasteries, red robed monks, high lamas, religious men in the villages. Such scenes would remain intact in your memories forever, which is one of Asia’s deepest mysteries.
Bhutan is a place on earth that even the most seasoned traveler considers a privilege to visit. This country is no ordinary place to visit…the land is unique in a modern time, where Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National product.
Flora and fauna
Bhutan can be Physically divided into three zones : the Subtropical Zone (150m to 2000m) with Tropical or Subtropical vegetation along covers along the southern slopes, the Temperate Zone (2000 to 4000m) with conifer or broadleaf forests and Alpine Zone (4000m and above) with no forest cover.
Due to the vast area (over 70 percent of the country’s
total area ) is covered by various types of forest with wide range of
altitude and climate, the flora and fauna of Bhutan is diverse and
rich.
Bhutan is known as the East Himalayas “Hot
Spot
“ and is recognized as an area of high biological diversity
and is the hub of 221 global endemic bird areas. Over 670 species
of birds have been recorded and many more are likely to be found. As one of the ten global hotspots Bhutan is all set to preserve and protect the same.
GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS – A DEVELOPMENT PHILOSHOPY OF THE KINGDOM OF BHUTAN.
In Bhutan , the country’s growth is measured in terms of happiness. The country’s progress is not measured by Gross Domestic Product but by Gross National Happiness (GNH). Bhutan argues that materials comfort does not necessarily lead to happiness. All this is conveyed in a development philosophy inspired by our beloved king , the fourth Druk Gaylpo His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuk and is drawn from the teachings of Buddhism. This new developmental philosophy is now being fleshed out by a wide range of professionals , scholars and agencies across the world . The Gross National Happiness (GNH) gives a profound message to the world today where people are said to have lost their heart and soul in the chase for material comfort.
The Philosophy of Gross national Happiness suggests that the progress of nations can be measured by “Gross National Happiness” for the rich are not always happy while the happy generally consider themselves rich. While conventional development models stress economic growth as the ultimate objective, the concept of Gross National Happiness claims to be based on the principle that true development of human society takes place when material and spiritual development occur side by side to complement and reinforce each other. Gross National Happiness comprises of four pillars:
Today, the concept of GNH has traveled across the world to define
prosperity in better terms and to measure actual wellbeing rather than
consumption. GNH has allowed Bhutan to both expand its network of roads
and increase its forest cover. In most other developing countries the
arrival of roads is followed by deforestation. Bhutan’s move towards GNH
has been indeed fruitful. For example, the high value low volume tourism
policy has facilitated in high revenue generation as well as promotion
and preservation of cultural and traditional values.
PEOPLE , RELIGION AND SOCIETY.
People. Bhutan is one of the least densely populated countries of the world. The 79 percent of the total population of 672,425 live in rural areas. The independent history explains the nature of the people who are gentle, natural and confident. The small Bhutanese population therefore , compromises multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society. Some of them are as follows : People in the western part of Bhutan is known as “Ngalops” who are the immigrants from Tibet who arrived in Bhutan as early as from 9th century. Their language is called “Dzongkha” which is the national language of Bhutan. In the eastern region are “Scharchops” who are believed to be the original inhabitants. They speak Tshanglakha. In the southern slopes are the “Lhotsampas” largely immigrants from Nepal and Indian states in the early 19th century. They speak “Lhotsamkha” or Nepali language. Besides, the people of Bhumthang are known as “Bhumthaps” , “Mandheps” are the people of Trongsa , the “Khengpas” live in central region of Zhemgang, the nomadic “Layaps” live in the north west ,the “Brokpas” in the eastern villages of Merak and Sakten, the “Doyas” or “Lhops” in the southern district of Samtse and “Lepchas” in the south. Bhutan has registered 19 languages and dialects . This diversity in language and culture is an indication of the cultural richness and heritage of the small country.
Bhutanese people are strongly independent in spirit and outlook. People in Bhutan have welcome smile to all visitors , no matter how simple their rural lives are and Bhutanese people treat all visitors as honoured guests.
Religion :
The visit of Guru Padmasambhava ( Also known as Guru
Rimpoche ) in the 8th century, the people by and large worshipped all
forms of nature. The religion that they practiced was animism that they
referred to as Bon. People believed that the invisible forces were the
rightful owners of the different elements of nature: mountain peaks as
abodes of Guardian deities (Yul lha), the lakes inhabited by lake
deities (Tsho mem), cliffs resided by cliff deities (Tsen), land
belonged to the subterranean deities (Lue) and land deities (Sabdag),
water sources inhabited by water deities (Chu gi Lhamu), and dark places
haunted by the demons (due) etc.
Till the visit of Guru Padmasambhava in the 8th century,
the people by and large worshipped all forms of nature. The religion
that they practiced was animism that they referred to as Bon. People
believed that the invisible forces were the rightful owners of the
different elements of nature: mountain peaks as abodes of Guardian
deities (Yul lha), the lakes inhabited by lake deities (Tsho mem),
cliffs resided by cliff deities (Tsen), land belonged to the
subterranean deities (Lue) and land deities (Sabdag), water sources
inhabited by water deities (Chu gi Lhamu), and dark places haunted by
the demons (due) etc.
Society.
Buddhism permeates everyday life in Bhutan. Bhutanese society does not have class or caste system. In general the Bhutanese have always been gender sensitive , open and a good-spirited society. Slavery was abolished by the Third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck sometimes in the 1950s. Living in a Bhutanese society generally means understanding some basic norms like Driglam Namzha, (Traditional values and etiquette) . Over the centuries this system of etiquette spread to lay people. This code of conduct specifies how to dress when visiting Dzongs , government offices, monasteries, Offering felicitation scarves when someone gets a promotion, letting the elders and the monks serve themselves first, greeting the elders or senior officials before they wish you ,correct way to sit , eat and so forth. Many of the ceremonies one sees performed at the start of an official event (Chipdrel , Marchang) or an archery match are part of driglam namzha.
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A land of unspoiled forest, cascading waterfalls, high snowcapped
mountains, magnificent wildlife, Bhutan has no rivals on Earth. Located
on the southern slopes of the Eastern Himalayas, protected by
impenetrable jungle to the south and daunting ranges of snow capped
mountains in the north, it is the only place on earth where habitats of
the mystical snow leopard and mighty and beautiful Royal Bengal tiger
intersect