About Bhutan

Written Bhutanese history begins in the 1600s. All other history is legend, folklore and myth passed down through generations primarily through “tsechus,” religious festivals. One oft told story is how the Guru Rinpoche flew into Bhutan on the back of a flaming Tigress. He landed in Paro (fittingly where the only airport is today) and founded the Taktsang Monastery (called the Tigers Nest) perching on a steep cliff overlooking the valley.

Unification into a loosely defined country from group of scattered tribes or clans happened in the 12th Century, and the Divine Monarchy finally took hold in 1907 when the first hereditary King, Ugyen Wangchuk, was crowned. Since then successive kings have gradually led the country into a constitutional monarchy.

Culturally this country has no parallel. For many years it was isolated from the rest of the world leading to development of language, society and customs without external influences. The culture is based purely on Buddhist philosophy. It was neither borrowed nor made in recent years. The root of its existence is as old as the existence of the land and people themselves.

Buddhism permeates life in Bhutan. It begins daily in home prayer rooms and stretches to a one hundred and sixty nine feet tall golden Buddha on a mountain overlooking Paro – one of the largest Buddha statues in the world. In between the personal and the monumental are found mountain-top monasteries, modern and ancient temples of worship, prayer wheels powered by mountain streams, chortens, mani-walls and prayer flags everywhere -- waving and shredded, sending pleadings and benedictions to higher powers. Then for ears and eyes, the religious arts of temple music and story-telling murals are suffuse places of worship.

The guiding tenets of Vajrayana Buddhism influence the Bhutanese from the development of governmental social and environmental programs to individuals’ daily prayers. Within a population of 800,000, approximately three quarters are Buddhist while the remainders are primarily practicing Hindus. Religious tolerance is encouraged.

In Bhutan the natural environment is the living place of gods and spirits, revered by the people. The country has focused on its care. Sustainable development and tourism are assessed against the goal of nature’s preservation. Seventy five percent of land is forested, the result of a national edict. (Tree-huggers rejoice! It takes a permit to cut down ANY tree.) Rivers and lakes are still pure and endangered species (migrating from other places) are safe.

Many people come to Bhutan to study plants, bird-watch, or look for sighting of exotic animals. The well-cared for environment supports more than five thousand plant species including three hundred medicinal plants and six hundred kinds of orchids. An abundance of birds fill forests and fields. Six hundred and seventy species have been identified – more than anywhere else on earth. And. that list is still growing!

In the Bhutanese animal kingdom there are one hundred and sixty-five species. The strange looking Takin (somewhat akin to the American moose) is the national animal. Other creatures you may find are monkeys, elephants, snow leopards, red pandas, blue sheep, golden langurs, wild buffalo and Himalayan martins.

Bhutan’s climate is very favorable. Neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter. Rhododendrons, mosses and lichens garland the countryside in summer as well as fields of produce. Winter has its own beauty of pristine whiteness and quiet. But, most visitors choose to come in spring or fall when the weather is most comfortable. Spring showcases the valleys and mountainsides with shades of green and brilliant flowers - the more than fifty species of white, rose, magenta and purple rhododendron. In fall, clear skies reveal spectacular views of high snow-capped Himalayas or changing colors in the forested lower mountains.

Bhutan’s thirteen traditional crafts, honed over centuries, are preserved by a national art school where promising young artists study for seven years to learn traditional ways and no doubt sometimes infuse them with a modern vibe. The National institute of Zorig Chusum includes: weaving, textiles and tailoring; paper making; ornament or jewelry making; bamboo and cane weaving; wood carving and wood turning; carpentry; painting - religious and murals; masonry with stones; clay modeling of statues; pottery, bronze casting, iron casting and blacksmithing. Visitors are welcome.

Bhutan’s traditional dress (worn for work and dressy events), the gho for men and the kira for women, is still very much part of traditional arts. The fabric is often woven by hand, tailored locally and ornamented with traditional pins. The textiles can be elaborate and brightly colored, especially on festive occasions. The Royal Textile Museum in Thimphu is worth a visit.

Architecture too hews to a traditional building style. Public and religious buildings and homes alike are still built by carpenters and masons employing traditional methods – canted masonry walls with fill of rocks and mud, elaborately carved windows, doors and lintels. The carpenters use no nails or screws. Traditional iconography is painted on the walls. These unusual and stunning white buildings bring exotic airs to countryside and towns.

Bhutan is a newly minted constitutional monarchy. In the 1960s, the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, instituted a National Assembly and shared power with 150 elected representatives. When he died in 1972, his son as king continued the path to democracy as the government worked for seven years to develop a constitution based on Buddhist philosophy, International Conventions on Human rights, analysis of other constitutions, and public opinion. Today, his grandson, Jigme Khesar Wangchuk, is the king of a constitutional monarchy sharing power with a bi-cameral legislature.

While the economy is primarily agrarian, other industries also bring income to the country. First among these is the sale of hydropower to India. Tourism also contributes greatly as do exports of forestry products, apples, oranges and fruits and jams.

Ngultrum (Nu), the national currency of Bhutan, is valued in 2018 at: 1 US dollar = 67.26 Bhutanese ngultrums. Cash is necessary as credit cards are not always accepted and ATMs are few.