THE LAND OF THUNDER DRAGON
CULTURE SPACE IN BHUTAN
Architecture! An Intricate Part of its Culture
Architecture is another feature which makes Bhutanese culture stand apart. In accordance with the country's geography and climate, the traditional architecture, which includes sloped roofs, earthen walls and intricate wooden work still thrive. Phalluses on the wall are considered sacred. No iron nail is used in the construction.
Bhutanese culture is one of the very few cultures in the world that is celebrated and a source of pride for each and every citizen. Each day sees its people respecting and embracing the unique culture in its true form, as well as working hard to preserve and promote the values set forth. Maybe this is why it leaves an impact on every individual who wanders through the country.
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ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU NOTICE ABOUT BHUTAN IS ITS DISTINCTIVE ARCHITECTURE. THE SOLID, RAMMED-EARTH FARMHOUSES, THE CLIFF-HUGGING GOEMBAS (MONASTERIES) AND LHAKHANGS (TEMPLES), AND THE IMPRESSIVE DZONGS (FORT-MONASTERIES) FOLLOW A TRADITIONAL PATTERN. YET THE ABSENCE OF WRITTEN PLANS MEANS THAT THERE ARE MANY VARIATIONS ON THE THEME DICTATED BY THE LOCAL TOPOGRAPHY AND AVAILABLE MATERIALS.
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“Music and Dances of Bhutan� Celebrations of the Country's Legacy The music and dance forms of Bhutan, which are primarily inspired by religion, are part of every festival and celebration in the country. In annual events such as tshechus, king's birthday, etc, the whole country celebrates its legacy by dancing and singing. Chham dances, or masked dances, are the national forms of dancing and they are majorly the re-enactment of the scenes from Guru Rinpoche's life. During dancing, one person in the group plays a musical instrument called a symbol, which keeps a track of time and adds melody to the performance. Zhungdra is the most popular of all. The music ranges from folk to religion to modern, such as rigsar. Rigsars has been prevalent in Bhutan since sometime around the 1960s. Use of instruments, like lingm (six-holed flute), chiwang (two-stringed fiddle), dramnyen (a large rebec), etc. The lyrics are mostly in Dzongkha or choke.
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Drametse Ngacham-One of the vital Cham Dance
ART OF BHUTAN” - WALL PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURES THAT DEPICTS BHUTAN'S HISTORY TRADITIONAL BHUTANESE ARTS HAVE BEEN GRADUALLY DEVELOPED THROUGH THE CENTURIES, OFTEN PASSED DOWN THROUGH FAMILIES WITH LONGSTANDING RELATIONS TO A PARTICULAR CRAFT. VARIOUS ART FORMS IN BHUTAN ARE INSPIRED BY THE BUDDHIST RELIGION. POETRY, DANCE, MUSIC, PAINTINGS, AND THEATRE IN THE COUNTRY IS DEEPROOTED IN THE RELIGION. PAINTINGS INCLUDE THANGKAS, WALL PAINTINGS, AND SCULPTURES. MASKED DANCES ARE THE MAIN SPECIALTY, WHICH IS THE REENACTMENT OF GURU RINPOCHE'S LIFE.
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BHUTAN IS PROUD OF ITS ARTISTIC HERITAGE AND PRODUCES WORKS OF EXCELLENT QUALITY AND GREAT ARTISTIC VALUE. THE ARTS AND CRAFTS ARE GROUPED IN ONE LIST UNDER THE NAME “THIRTEEN ARTS”, THE ZORIG CHUSUM: ZO MEANS “TO MAKE”, RIG “SCIENCE” AND CHUSUM “THIRTEEN”. THEY CONSIST OF:
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1.PAINTING 2.SCULPTURE 3.CARVING 4.CALLIGRAPHY 5.PAPERMAKING 6.CASTING 7.EMBROIDERY 8.WEAVING 9.CARPENTRY 10.MASONRY 11.BAMBOO AND CANE WEAVING 12.GOLD/SILVER SMITHY 13.BLACKSMITHY
The predominant religion in Bhutan is Buddhism, followed by Hinduism. As a result, Bhutanese culture is very much influenced by sacred Buddhist values. Bhutanese live by their religious values and respect their gods and deities a lot. Hence, there is no dearth of monasteries, chortens, lhakhangs, etc in the country. There are colorful prayer flags on hillsides, at the entrance of monasteries, etc, which are considered sacred. The Dzong, a unique combination of a fortress and a monastery is present in every district or Dzongkhag of the country.
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Religion in Bhutan Buddhist monks reside in monasteries located high in the mountains. They lead a very simple life, with no luxuries. A monk is generally admitted in the monastery at the age of six to nine and takes his lessons under a headmaster. In common families, a small morsel is kept on the floor as an offering to deities before eating. So, religion plays a very important role in deciding the lifestyle of people.
The official religion in Bhutan is Vajrayana Buddhism, which is practiced by 75% of the population. Bhutan is a Buddhist country by the constitution and Buddhism plays a vital role in the country. Buddhism is the cultural heritage of Bhutan and its people's identity as well. 8
“Food of Bhutan� - Cuisine & Culinary Delights of Bhutan
One of the most quintessential things about the culture of Bhutan is its simplicity. Hence it does not come out as a surprise that its cuisine also reflects the same. Ema Datshi is the national dish of Bhutan. It is eaten throughout the country and in almost every meal. It usually consists of spicy chillies and cheese. Momos are yet Special deals &delicacy, discounts books by LGBTQ+ writers! another Bhutanese andon they are stuffed with pork, beef or cabbages.
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Traditionally, food, cooked in earthenware, is eaten with hands, by sitting cross-legged on the floor. In cities, however, cutlery and dining table are used now and food is cooked with modern utensils. Usually, the woman of the family serves the food to other members, and the eldest member is the first one to be served.
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“Traditional Dress of Bhutan� "Cultural Aesthetics of the Country" Bhutanese culture mandates that the traditional dress be worn on special occasions and in government offices. Bhutanese men wear 'Gho' and women wear 'Kira'. Gho is a heavy knee-length robe, tied by a belt. Kira is an ankle-length dress, over which a short jacket may be worn. These dresses have evolved over time. For example, the small pouches on the front of the dress were used to carry food bowls and small daggers, whereas now mobile phones, etc are kept into it. These dresses are made up of cotton or wool, and dresses made out of silk are worn on special occasions. As per traditions, it is necessary to carry a scarf in a dzong or an administrative centre. Men's scarf is called kabney and women's scarf is called rachu. 11
How to wear National Dress...
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"Unique Festivals of Bhutan�
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The festivals in Bhutan are an exciting affair in the life of the Bhutanese, and an integral part of the unique culture of Bhutan. The most important Bhutanese festival is Tshechu. Every city has its own tshechu, which lasts for 3-5 days. It falls on a particular day of a Lunar month (for example, the 10th day of the 2nd Lunar month). It is generally held in a dzong, where people from the entire district and the surrounding places gather together in harmony to be a part of a mass celebration.
Masked dances or chham are the major attraction of a tshechu. Monks and laymen wear silk robes and animal masks and reenact the moments of Guru Rinpoche's life in the form of dances. The last day of the tshechu usually witnesses the unfurling of a silk thongdrel. Seeing the thongdrel believes to wash away one's sins.
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Then, just for a blessed few hours, he had climbed out of that chopper into the high, cold, piney air of Bhutan, and gone for a ramble in the king's Land Rover, and hiked up a misty mountain that had struck him as being straight from a 1970s album cover. And he had done some introspection about the fact that he couldn't even take such a lovely place at face value but only liken it to such pop culture references. Author: Neal Stephenson
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REFERENCE BHUTAN-HISTORY AND CULTURE. (2018). IEXPLORE, 1 -5.HTTPS://WWW.IEXPLORE.COM/ARTICLES/TRAVEL-GUIDES/SOUTHAND-SOUTHEAST-ASIA/BHUTAN/HISTORY-AND-CULTURE CHODEN, D. W. (2018). BHUTAN-CULTURE SMART! THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CUSTOMS AND CULTURE. THIMPHU: KUPERARD, AN IMPRINT OF BRAVO LTD. CULTURE OF BHUTAN. (2019). WIKIPEDIA.HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/CULTURE_OF_BHUTAN CULTURE OF BHUTAN: EXPLORE THE MYSTERIOUS NATURE OF THE HIMALAYAN KINGDOM. (2018). HOLIDAY, 1-6.
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Once a Year, go Someplace you have Never been Before... Bhutan is there to bless you with pristine nature, rich in culture!!! MEMBER 1.Lekzin Tobgyal -6132301044 2. Kuenzang Dema - 6132301043
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