History
Archaeological evidence suggest that Bhutan was
inhabited by nomadic herders as early as 2000-1500 BC. Although the
destruction of original documents in fires and earthquakes has left much
of Bhutan's ancient history obscure, a few of the survivors that were
saved from such natural disasters reveal the prominence of Buddhist
tradition and mythology. Other sources rely reports from British
explorers and on legend and folklore.
Recorded Bhutanese history dates back to the 747 AD
when Guru Rimpoche first visited the country. Regarded as the second
Buddha and the patron saint of Bhutan, he introduced the Buddhist
religion in the country, providing a sense of cohesion during the middle
ages.
Until the early 17th century, Bhutan was a cluster of
fragmented provinces constantly at odds with each other. It was
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, a great spiritual personality and leader who
brought and end to earring factions and unified the country into one
nation, establishing a theocracy in 1652 and introducing a code of law.
In the process of crushing several foreign invasions, mainly from Tibet,
he initiated the building of many fortresses called Dzongs, which to
this day, serve as centres of administration in the country.
The theocracy established by Shabdrung endured until
1907 when HRH Ugyen Wangchuck was elected as the first hereditary king
of Bhutan by popular consensus. HRH Jigme Wangchuck succeeded him and
ruled the country from 1926 to 1952. HRH Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, also
known as the father of modern Bhutan, was king from 1952 to 1972. The
present king HRH Jigme Singye Wangchuck came to the throne in 1972.
Bhutan remained under self-imposed isolation from the
outside world until 1960. The third King, His Majesty Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck (1952-1972), opened the nation’s doors to the outside world
with the intitiation of planned economic development and launching of
the First Five Year Plan in 1961. Barely a decade later, Bhutan joined
the United Nations and became a permanent member in 1972.
Geography
Landlocked between China in the north and India in
the south, east and west, Bhutan is a small country with an area of
38,394 square kilometers. Its geography is characteristic of the Eastern
Himalayas with elevation ranging from 150 meters above sea level in the
south to more than 7300 meters in the north.
Bhutan is divided into three zones.
The southern zone is characteristic of low foothills and dense tropical
forests. With an average temperature of 20 degree centigrade, this
region is hot and humid.
The central zone is situated between 2000 and 3500
meters. While the climate in the lower valleys is semi-tropical, most of
the region is alpine. The central zone is divided into three regions:
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Western Bhutan
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Central Bhutan, and
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Eastern Bhutan
The northern zone stretches from west to east between
6800 meters to 7400 meters, forming part of the great Himalayas.
People
Bhutanese are friendly and hospitable people. The
Bhutanese are the Drukpas meaning the inhahitants of Druk Yul. The
large majority of Bhutanese people are homogeneous group divided
lingu-istically into three broad sub-groups. These are Sharchops,
(eastern region) Ngalong (western region) and Lhotshampa (southern
Region). The dialect spoken by most of the people in the eastern region
is called Sharchopkha. The people of Western Bhutan speak Dzongkha,
which is the national language. The lhotshampas are the people of the
south who began settling in southern Bhutan in the beginning of the 20th
century. They are of Nepalese origin and speak Nepali.
Besides there are a number of smaller groups, many
with their own language, which form about one per cent of the
population. Some groups are :Bumthap in Bumthang, Layapas in the
north-west, Brokpas in the north-east and the Doyas in the south west
Bhutan.
Religion
Buddhism is practiced throughout the country and the
majority of the Bhutanese are Buddhists. Hinduism is practiced
particularly in Southern Bhutan among Bhutanese of Nepali origin. As
practiced by the Southern Bhutanese, the Hindu religion has many common
saints and divinities with Vajrayana Buddhism, the school of religion
prevalent in Bhutan. The main protective deity of the country, Yeshey
Gonpo or Mahakala, is a Tantric Buddhist form of the Hindu God Shiva and
often appears in the form of a raven.
Prior to the advent of Buddhism, various forms of
animistic religions including Bon were followed in Bhutan. In some parts
of the country these traditions and rituals are still practiced by
minority groups. Bhutan has been home to many sages and saints over the
centuries since Guru Rimpoche brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th
century. Kuenkhen Longchen Ramjam, Phajo Drukgom Zhigpo, Pema Lingpa,
Drukpa Kuenley, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel and Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye are
some of the key figures of Bhutanese Buddhism.
Drukpa Kagyu, school of Tantric Mahayana Buddhism, is official state
religion. Although it is similar to Tibetan Buddhism, it has its own set
of unique beliefs and practices.
Religious institutions continue to play an important
role in Bhutan. Besides the formal monastic structure that is supported
by the state, the monk body also includes monks and nuns who are not
part of the state sponsored institutions. Monks continue to play an
important role in people's daily lives. They perform religious
ceremonies, and preserve and promote traditional scholarship.
The extent to which Buddhism permeates almost every
aspect of life in Bhutan is evident in the art, architecture,
literature, social structure, institutions, organizations and values.
National Flag
The national flag is rectangular and divided
diagonally into two parts with a white dragon in the middle. The upper
yellow half signifies the country’s secular authority of the King in
fruitful action in the affairs of religion and state. The lower
saffron-orange half signifies the religious practice and spiritual power
of Buddhism manifested in the Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma traditions. The
dragon symbolizes the name of the country, locally known as Druk Yul,
meaning land of the thunder dragon and its white color signifies purity
and loyalty of the Bhutanese people. The snarling mouth of the dragon
expresses the strength of the male and female deities protecting Bhutan
while the jewels in its claws represent the wealth prosperity and
perfection of the country and the people.
Dress
Bhutanese men wear gho, which are longish robes tied
around the waist by a cloth belt, known as kera. The women’s ankle
length dress is known as Kira, which is made of bright coloured fine
woven fabric with traditional patterns.
Arts and Crafts
Bhutan is known for handicraft items in bronze,
silver and other metals. Sculpting of religious figures is widely
practiced and every temple houses large brightly painted and gilded
statues of the Buddha and other saints.
National Day
National day is celebrated on 17th December in
commemoration of the accession of Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuk, the first king
of Bhutan to the throne, at Punakha Dzong.
Architecture
The castle-like dzongs, with their gently tapering
walls, classic lines, large courtyards and beautiful galleries, are
among the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture. Containing large
monasteries inside and set in commanding position on hilltops or at the
confluence of rivers, dzongs are also the administrative centers of
their districts.
But, the most common architectural sight in Bhutan are the chortens or
stupas which are small shrines built to house sacred relics.
Media
, a biweekly newspaper , is published in
Dzongkha, Nepalese and English. An online English version, updated
daily, is also available on the Internet.
There are two other private print medias, i.e. and has come up in Bhutan in the past year.
, a national radio and TV station, broadcasts news and other programmes daily on current affairs.
Private cable operators throughout the country provide access to several
regional and international TV channels.
and are the two private radio stations operating in the country.
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CZ Associates