Bhutan

Foreword by HER MAJESTY QUEEN ASHI SANGAY CHODEN WANGCHUCK

Lekha Singh

BHUTAN The remote and mysterious Land of the Thunder Dragon, nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, Bhutan was a destination for only the hardiest explorer. It is a land of formidably tough terrain, full of narrow valleys separated by high, impassable mountain ranges. Its long history of deep and secret mystical traditions, both Buddhist and other, its mighty and yet gentle kings, the fact that it is located between two giants, India and China, have all been a deterrent to casual travellers. As Bhutan moves towards democracy and a vision of Gross National Happiness, as it opens its borders, as its popularity in the West increases, it is soon becoming the destination for the adventurous traveller. Only now, after many centuries of being shut from the curious eyes of others, is Bhutan revealing its treasures.

Join photographer and explorer Lekha Singh on a journey through this strange and beautiful land. Cliff-side monasteries soar above the Paro Valley. The street markets of Thimpu, the only capital city in the world with no traffic lights, bustle with activity. Monks pray beside the Burning Lake, one of Buddhism’s most sacred sites. Dzongs, fortress-monasteries, perched high in the Himalayas seem to float above the clouds.

These photographs reveal an untouched land, unchanged for hundreds of years: its dances, art, architecture and customs as they have been for centuries. Lekha Singh’s photographs are at once deeply intimate and sweepingly majestic. With a foreword by Her Majesty Queen Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, this book captures, perhaps for the last time, u y of the people and landscape of this the untouched beauty rare Himalayan land as it slowly embraces modernity. trations With 107 colour illustrations Jacket Front: See page 97 Back: See page 71

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Lekha Singh Foreword by HER MAJESTY QUEEN ASHI SANGAY CHODEN WANGCHUCK

Mapin Publishing 5

To Eva and Yoel Haller, companions of many journeys, without whom my journey to Bhutan would not have been possible.

With whom I have climbed up to the Tiger’s Nest, roamed the highlands of Ethiopia and sipped tea in London cafes.

Pages 2–7 See page 123

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Celebrations are enlivened by music provided by the army band whose members wear helmets, a part of historical costume.

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Based on Department of Tourism, Bhutan

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PREFACE

JOURNEY TO BHUTAN: LAND OF THE THUNDER DRAGON

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n Kolkata, it took three hours for the twenty-seven kilometer drive from the airport to the hotel where we will stay overnight before heading to Bhutan.

There’s a high density of people and traffic: we are rear-ended three times. The taxi that we are being driven in is on its last legs; it revs up and slows down at will. Our taxi driver is drunk. At one point trucks close in on us on all four sides like hills. The traffic is at such a standstill that the driver jumps out to buy a cigarette from the cigarette shop, after which he stands outside to take a few drags before getting in.

I try to focus on what is coming tomorrow: the only country in the world that has no traffic lights. I think of the contrast and imagine a country with no air pollution, no traffic noise, few people – an improbable place in this day and age. The population of Bhutan is estimated at 700,000, although a questionable census put the population at one million. This enabled Bhutan to meet the minimum requirement to join the UN. In certain areas of Kolkata 700,000 people live in less then three square kilometres.

The guide book warned that flights to Bhutan can change at a moment’s notice and sometimes you may have to up to three days before takes off. It all depended on the condition of the runway strip. There is only one airport in the whole country. Only one little valley in Paro is wide enough for a short and high runway.

There are only two flights to the country. All landings and takeoffs in Paro are by visual flight rules. The pilot must be able to see the runway before landing and the surrounding hills before takeoff. No flights can be operated at night.

The next morning, despite the dire warnings in the guide book about schedules, the Druk Air flight takes off on time. On the way the pilot points to a jagged

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mountain in the distance. ‘Mount Everest,’ he says. A Bhutanese woman wearing a traditional kira (the national dress), joins her hands and prays to Everest.

The pilot starts his manoeuvre into the Paro valley. Every passenger on the plane holds their breath. The plane dips as if it were a curtseying ballet dancer and a deep cliff of stone comes into view first on one side and then another. We are all afraid the wing might touch one of these.

I am ready to land in this country that is often described as tiny and remote.

A country that few travellers have visited, where traditions have remained the same for centuries, where immense phalluses are still painted on house fronts to ward off evil. Where not much seems to have changed. Descriptions given by emissaries journeying through Bhutan as far back as the sixteenth century coincide with what we see today in Bhutan.

Stuck between two giants China and India and with strong links to Tibet, Bhutan has somehow managed to preserve its unique culture and independence.

I want to be here before it changes and adopts modern ways.

We land and everyone claps in relief. As we walk outside, the engine of the plane turns off and there is complete silence. The yellow grass beyond the runway is lit by the sun and ripples slightly in the breeze.

Lekha Singh

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INTRODUCTION Vinod C. Khanna

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he early history of Bhutan, or Druk Yul—the Land of the Thunder Dragon—as it is known to the Bhutanese, is shrouded in mystery, and like the best histories, the story of Bhutan begins with a legend.

In the eighth century, it is said, Guru Padmasambhava, the famous Indian Buddhist teacher, flew into Bhutan from Tibet astride a tiger’s back. Hailed as an incarnation of Amitabha, the Buddha of endless life, he brought with him the Vajrayana,1 a new stream of Mahayana Buddhism that would forever change the people of this remote land.

After a few days in the midst of towering mountains, majestic fortresscum-monasteries and a people deeply immersed in their religious beliefs, it is not difficult to suspend rationality and to believe, as many Bhutanese do, that Guru Padmasambhava performed many miracles to tame the evil spirits and wrathful local deities and turn the wheel of Vajrayana Buddhism in this land, as he had earlier done in Tibet. These narratives lend further enchantment to the site of one of the wonders of the world, the Takstang Monastery, perched perilously high upon the edges of a cliff where he is said to have first landed and meditated.

More than seventy per cent of the Bhutanese people are Buddhists. As they look back on the centuries following the miracles of Guru Padmasambhava, or, as he is more often called in Bhutan, Guru Rimpoche, the ‘Precious Master’, they see the main historic milestones in terms of the contribution of other great religious saints. In the thirteenth century Phajo Drukgom Shipo established the Drukpa subsect of the Kargyupa2 school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. A couple centuries later the religious scene was enlivened by Drukpa Kunley (1455–1529), known as the Divine Madman, who remains one of the best-loved saints in Bhutan. Besides using sacred devotional songs, he is

The national emblem is composed of a double vajra or diamond-thunderbolt placed above a lotus, surmounted by a jewel and framed by two dragons. The vajras represent the harmony between secular and religious power; the lotus symbolizes purity and the jewel expresses sovereign power. The two dragons, male and female, stand for the name of the country, Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragons.

Facing page Owing to improvements in the public health system, life expectancy in Bhutan has been rising steadily.

Also see page 100

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Even the staircase to the Royal Secretariat in the Tashichho dzong is elaborately decorated with traditional designs.

known for his extraordinary ability to overpower evil spirits and demons with the display of his ‘magic thunderbolt of wisdom’,3 and throughout the country visitors will be surprised by the Bhutanese tradition of hanging brightly coloured phallic symbols from the eaves of their houses—or painting them near the front door—to ward off evil spirits. The charismatic Zhabdrung—‘at whose feet one submits’—Ngawang Namgyel (1594–1651), from Tibet, was hailed not only as a great spiritual and cultural leader but was also a military general and political statesman. He is honoured as the founder of the Bhutanese state. He established the dominance of the Drukpa Kargyupa school, triumphed over infighting feudal lords and unified the country. He formed a state monk body and began the system that combined religious and civil jurisdiction in each district.

The legacies which the much-revered religious teachers have bequeathed from ancient times continue to dominate the thoughts and lives of a very large number of Bhutanese even today. These beliefs have invested the stunningly beautiful natural environment with profound spirituality. Every feature of the landscape—whether the soaring mountains, the luxuriant forests, the sparkling rivers or tranquil lakes—has acquired a supernatural identity. The origins of this

Facing page The Dharmachakra, Wheel of Dharma—one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism— representing Buddha’s teaching of the path to enlightenment. The eight spokes represent the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism.

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religious adoration of landscape almost certainly lie in the animistic beliefs which pervaded Bhutan before the arrival of Buddhism. The Buddhist gurus, instead of seeking to destroy these beliefs, blended them into their own.

The most imposing of Bhutan’s sanctified natural features are the towering Himalayas, with their snow-clad peaks, that occupy the north of the country.

The highest peak, at 7541 metres, is Gangkar Puensum; but the most beloved is Mount Jhomolhari at 7300 metres. They are venerated, as the Bhutanese believe them to be the abode of the deities, and climbing them is never done by the devout. The subalpine and alpine highlands are home to some very distinctive flora and fauna, including the national flower, the blue poppy, and the national animal, the unique takin, a kind of goat-antelope. A lucky traveller may even encounter the elusive snow leopard that lives at altitudes above 4000 metres.

The landscape of Bhutan gets its unique character from the splendid architecture which stands in harmony with nature and the religious beliefs of the people— the dzongs, those formidable fortress-monasteries; lhakhangs, temples; gompas, monasteries; chortens, stupas; and the picturesque farmhouses.

Bhutan has many magical sights but few more astonishing than the Taktsang, Tiger’s Nest Monastery, perched perilously high up on the edges of a sheer 900-metre cliff, commanding the Paro valley. Visually, it is one of the wonders of the world but for the Bhutanese it has meaning much beyond the physical. The monastery, the Bhutanese believe, is built where Guru Padmasambhava, having flown in from Tibet astride a tiger, landed and meditated. Hailed in Tibet and Bhutan as Guru Rimpoche, this revered Indian saint is said to have brought Tantric Buddhism to Tibet and Bhutan in the eighth century.

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Yet another spectacular view of the famed Taktsang monastery.

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To the people of Bhutan, their mountains are the sacred abode of deities. This is a natural reaction to their awesome proportions and breathtaking beauty. And so, when the Buddhist missionaries came to Bhutan in ancient times, they incorporated into their beliefs the prevailing Bon animist veneration of forests, rivers, lakes and above all, the towering mountains.

Also see page 119

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The most imposing architectural monuments are the dzongs, many of them built by the Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in strategic locations to fortify the country against Tibetan attacks. He was assisted by a great master carpenter hailed as an incarnation of the divine craftsman, Vishwakarma. These structures are the focus of both spiritual and temporal life, strongholds of religious and political power alike. Reflecting the dual system of government initiated by the Zhabdrung, each dzong is designed to be both the administrative and religious centre, presiding over the life of a district. While some ancient dzongs still survive in their original form, many others have had recent restoration. But they are all built on traditional architectural and aesthetic principles, deeply imbued with spiritual beliefs.

An example of Bhutan’s cultural continuity, or what Marc Dujardin calls the ‘cycle of continuous architectural renewal’, is the magnificent Punakha dzong, located at the confluence of two rivers, the Phochu and the Mochu. This dzong occupies a particularly important place in Bhutanese history and theology. It was built by the Zhabdrung and it is where his embalmed body is enshrined. It is also the winter home of the Je Khenpo—the chief abbot of Bhutan—and the central monk body led by him.

Thimphu’s Tashichho dzong is the country’s most regal edifice, housing the office of the king, the secretariat of the executive branch of the government and the summer residence of the Je Khenpo. It dominates the Thimphu landscape.

Majestic in its external appearance, it has within its precincts some of the most exquisite works of traditional craftsmanship embellishing the walls, doors, and even the staircases. Many beautiful paintings illustrating the life of Buddha decorate the dzong.

Facing page Given the fact that Bhutan is a Buddhist country, the life of Lord Buddha—Buddha Shakyamuni— is a recurring theme in painting, iconography, and even items of daily use.

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Indeed, vibrant works of art, including wall paintings and statues, can be found adorning nearly all Bhutan’s dzongs, monasteries and temples. Images of the Shakyamuni Buddha, Guru Rimpoche and the Zhabdrung are the most recognizable. Among the most striking representations are those of evil spirits and demons; even protective deities like Mahakala can take on a fearsome aspect.

Whether the subject is benign or terrifying, symmetry, order and harmony are essential features of all the paintings.

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This is the entrance, alive with dazzling colours, to the Royal Secretariat at Tashichho dzong. It is flanked by the four guardian deities, respectively the kings of north, south, east and west. They guard each of the four cardinal directions, providing a protective cover against evil spirits.

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Many universal motifs embellish these monuments and stand testimony to Bhutan’s artistic skills and religious zeal. The four sides of the dzongs, for instance, are each supposed to have an image of one of the four guardian kings. Where it is not possible their images are sketched, painted and consecrated. They defend teachings of enlightenment and protect against evil spirits.

The entrance to the main monasteries in the Punakha dzong.

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A particularly attractive motif is that of the dharmachakra, the wheel of law, with a deer on each side. The dharmachakra symbolizes the turning of the wheel of dharma, law; the deer gazing up at the sky represent the first patrons of Buddha: Jajin4 and Tshangpa5.

The Bhutanese believe that a good artisan is not merely technically skilled but well-versed in religious symbolism. Nearly every aspect of the architectural endeavour, from choosing the site to the shape of the windows, is rich in spiritual significance. Even the building of an ordinary house requires the guidance of those intimately familiar with the factors which could harm the eventual occupiers and about the remedial measures which will ensure auspicious outcomes. For the Bhutanese, architecture is attractive not only because of its exterior designs and beautiful paintings but because the houses are built on sites which are blessed and from which all obstructions have been cleared.6 The structures one encounters most frequently in Bhutan are not the great fortresses, but rather the chortens, the Bhutanese stupas. Thousands of these monuments dot the countryside—at crossroads, river confluences, high mountain passes, or indeed any place the Bhutanese wish to keep in the collective memory.

They range from the fairly small to the relatively large, from the simple to the quite complex—and all are built according to the principles established by tradition.

The chortens may be homes for religious offerings or sacred relics and may honour a great deceased person or seek to ward off evil spirits or commemorate an important event. Perhaps the best-known recent addition is the group of 108

Left The motif of two deer on either side of the wheel of dharma is often seen on the gates of the monasteries. The reindeer represent Jajin (Indra) and Tshangpa (Brahma) who, according to Buddhist lore, were the first to request Lord Buddha after he became the Enlightened One to speak of the great truths he had realized. Here the animals are used to decorate either side of a window.

Right Slate carvings depict the three gods of long life—Amitayus in the centre, White Tara on the right and Mukut Vijaya on the left.

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chortens built in 2003–04 by Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, the eldest of the four queens. As she explains in her book, A Portrait of Bhutan, ‘A chorten is manifestation of deep faith, and a humble act of devotion on the part of the person who has built it.’

These chortens, built as all chortens are supposed to be in religiously prescribed manner, are located where the crystal clear waters of rivers Wangchu and Pachu meet at Chhuzom, on the road from Thimphu to Phuntsholing.

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The countless prayer flags that rise up from the earth are also a familiar sight in Bhutan. Inscribed with auspicious symbols, invocations, prayers, and mantras, the brightly colored flags flutter in the wind, spreading happiness, harmony and well-being. Given their sacred nature, they are treated with great respect no matter how remote their location and present state. Yet another aid to spiritual progress are the prayer wheels of many kinds. The familiar, small hand-held ones are rotated by individual devotees while large, fixed metal wheels, set side by side in a row in monasteries, give visitors an opportunity to turn many wheels in succession by sliding their hands over each one. Others, still, turn by flowing water, gifting their purifying power to the streams that generate their movement.

No matter what the kind of prayer wheel, each one is a physical manifestation of the rotation of the wheel of dharma, in keeping with Lord Buddha’s teachings, with each revolution conferring religious merit.

Weaving together this fabric of cultural heritage is a vast network of Buddhist monks. These devotees manage the religious establishments, perform prayers, preside over festivals and rites of passage, seek intercession of the Bodhisattvas on behalf of the community and individuals, identify auspicious days for undertaking important activities, and provide advice and solace to the Bhutanese.

The role of the monks in Bhutan, however, goes well beyond the religious.

Representatives from the clergy used to sit on major decision-making bodies, such as the Royal Advisory Council and the National Assembly, though they no longer do so. The clergy is also actively involved in social welfare programmes.

Monasteries are custodians of a very rich tradition of music. Some of their prayers involve chanting and singing, accompanied by traditional musical instruments like conch-shell trumpets, metal horns up to three metres long, large standing drums and cymbals, hand bells, temple bells, gongs and wooden sticks.

Yet, it is in the mask dances and dance dramas that the monks make their most dramatic appearance. The best known are those which are held several times a year during Buddhist religious tsechus, festivals, in dzongs throughout Bhutan. The monks

One of the most familiar sights in Bhutan are the prayer flags. Fluttering in the wind even in the remotest parts of the country, they spread their benedictions, reciting, as it were, the prayers written on them.

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The Druk Wangyel chortens at the Dochu La Pass were built in 2003–04 by Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, when, to quote from her book A Portrait of Bhutan, ‘our country and our King were faced with grave danger.’ In the right season, Dochu La offers a spectacular view of the snow-clad high peaks of the eastern Himalayas.

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See page 71

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Photographer Lekha Singh travels the world to capture images that explore the human and environmental condition. Her photographs have appeared in such publications as The New York Times and National Geographic’s The Other Side of War and are exhibited throughout the world.

This is her fourth book.

Vinod C. Khanna holds degrees from Bombay, Oxford and Delhi universities. He was a member of the Indian Foreign for thirty years and served as India’s ambassador in Bhutan from 1989 to 1991. He has travelled widely in that country and has a keen interest in its culture.

Other titles of interest: A VISION OF SPLENDOUR

Indian Heritage in the Photographs of Jean Philippe Vogel, 1901–1913 Gerda Theuns-de Boer

PHOTOGRAPHY

VIJAYANAGARA

Splendour in Ruins Edited by George Michell

Bhutan

DAUGHTERS OF INDIA

144 pages, 100 colour illustrations 11 x 9.5” (280 x 240 mm), hc ISBN: 978-81-89995-07-2 (Mapin) ISBN: 978-0-944142-39-4 (Grantha) ₹1850 | $50 | £30 2008 • World rights

Mapin Publishing • www.mapinpub.com

Lekha Singh

Art and Identity Stephen P. Huyler

PRINTED IN SINGAPORE