The Kingdom of Bhutan is wedged between India and China along the lofty mountains of the eastern Himalayas, between longitude 88°45' and 92 degree10' east and latitude 26 degree40' and 28degree15'. With an area of approximately 46,500 sq. kilometers, Bhutan is comparable to Switzerland in both size and topography, being largely mountainous. The country with these borders form a giant staircase, from a narrow strip of land in the south at an altitude of 10,000 feet, up to some of the unclimbed Himalayan peaks on Earth.

RELIGION...
Bhutan's official religion is Drukpa Kagyu, a school of Tantric Mahayana Buddhism, similar to the Buddhism of Tibet. Tantric form of religion emerged as the last phase in the long evolution of Buddhism. The word 'Trantism' comes from Tantras, the name of a body of esoteric texts which appeared roughly between the third and the tenth century. These are divided into four groups: tantras of action, tantras of behaviour, tantras of yoga, and finally tantras without any superiors. If we place Bhutan's religion in the full context of Buddhism, it is necessary to go back nearly 2500 years and trace the points at which the Drukpa Kagyu lineage and its antecedents diverged from other schools of Buddhism.

Buddhism is practiced throughout the country though, in the south, most Bhutanese people of Nepali and Indian descent practice Hinduism.

Minority groups practice various forms of animistic religion including Bon, which predates Himalayan Buddhism. Religion has shaped the history of the nation and continues to play an important role in the life of god fearing and spiritual people. All over Bhutan, evidence of this can be seen in many religious monuments and symbols that have been erected.

The air of spirituality is pervasive even in the urban centers where the spinning of prayer wheels, the murmur of mantras and the glow of butter lamps in the houses are still important features of every day life. Bhutan's religious sites and institutions are not museum, but the daily home of its people.

Custom
The traditional dress of Bhutan is one of the most distinctive and visible aspects of Bhutan. It is compulsory for all Bhutanese to wear national dress in schools, government offices and formal occasions. Every inhabitant of the country wears the distinctive national dress that is finely hand-woven from multicolored, vibrant hued wool, cotton or silk. Men's attire is called "gho", which is knee length traditional hand-woven robe. Women wear a longer; ankle length robe called "kira" and this is also made from fine, hand woven fabric, with the pattern usually being distinctive to a particular valley of area. The form of dress is common to all strata of society.
For formal occasions, including a visit to the

Dzong requires a scarf called "Kabney" that identifies a person's rank. In dzongs and on formal occasions, a Dasho or someone in authority carries a long sword called a Patang.

When visiting dzongs, women wear a cloth sash called a "Rachu" over their left shoulder in the same manner as men wear a kabney.

White silk scarves are exchanged as customary greetings among ranking officials and are offered to high lamas as a sign of respect.

ARTS & CRAFTS...
The Himalayan Mountains are a fragile environment the actions of wind, water, earthquakes and fire have made serious changes in the topography. The intervention of people on this environment has, to date, been without major effect. However, that influence is changing and, unless checked, could be disastrous to the Himalayan states and their neighbours.

The Himalayas posses an unforgettable aura and magnetism, a personality at once diverse and distant but also familiar and friendly; there are high mountain peaks, rushing streams and delicate waterfalls, narrow fertile valleys and mountain slopes carpeted with rich colours of autumn leaves or spring rhododendrons, of tall pine forests, green and glistening in the monsoon rains, or ghostly and reflective in winter.

Tucked away in a small section of this vast mountain is Bhutan; unique, mysterious, independent, with a rich cultural heritage. Because of it's long isolation, Bhutan has been able to preserve its diverse customs and values, its close ties with communities and families, its way of worship, its traditional skills and, above all, a simple and un-complicated way of life. To understand Bhutan, one needs also to understand the nature of the Himalayan Kingdoms and their historical and cultural relationships; how they viewed their neighbours, and how they were seen in return.

To adequately describe Bhutan is to first picture the visible; towering snowscapes, high mountain passes, large fortress-monasteries or dzongs, rows of fluttering prayer flags, powerful racing rivers, colourful festivals, and attractive national costumes. The intangibles within Bhutanese culture form an equally vital part of the fabric that binds the country together: the immense importance of the royal family; the code of conduct and responsibilities [driglam namza]; the physical, mental and verbal guiding principle of 'the science of crafts' [zorigpa]; the option for an individual or group to withdraw from the world and be apart - or the possibility to be at peace with oneself and one's environment and yet still be part's of one's community. A way of life is available for most people where materialism is of minor importance and quality of life is measured by a standard quite foreign to the everyday values that most people in the West live by it; solitude instead of crowded place, introspection instead of busyness, serenity instead of anxiety.

Out of this physical and temporal environment and people's response to living in it, has evolved a series of traditional skills, ancient and sophisticated, colourful and complicated, and in many ways special because they are so unique. These traditional skills or crafts came out to be known as zorig chusum [thirteen traditional crafts] and today represent hundred of years of knowledge and ability that have been passed down from father to son and mother to daughter.

ARCHITECTURE...
The traditional architecture of the kingdom of Bhutan is associated with a number of clear-cut architectural concepts and building types that are deeply rooted in Tibetan Buddhism: majestic and strategically positioned fortress monasteries [dzong], dramatically located temples [lhakhang] and monasteries [gompa], picturesque clusters of village farm houses [gung chim], and various types of religious and votive structures such as Buddhists stupas [chorten], prayer walls [mani], different types of spirit houses [lukhang and Tsenkang] and the technical genius of its cantilever and chain bridges [zam].

 

Anyone who has had the opportunity to experience Bhutan's unique built landscape will have marveled at it's strikingly beautiful traditional architecture. Most publications that mention Bhutanese architecture tend to emphasize its monumental character and aesthetic intent. It is possible that such object-oriented descriptions of architecture contribute - albeit unconsciously - to what may be called 'monumentalization', 'objectification', and 'concretization' of Bhutan's 'living architectural tradition'. In terms of western values and approaches to issues of cultural preservation and conservation, each and every traditional architectural landscape in Bhutan, each and every building and structure, would seem entitled to conservation.

Bhutanese people having a strong sense of aesthetics much evident in their architecture: Castle - like Dzongs that were erected without single nail and no floor plans, Lhakhangss and Gompas - the first form of religious architecture situated on high peaks, Chortens - constructed in memory of an eminent lala or personage, or to ward-off evil, and Traditional village houses with shingled roofs. These structures are beautifully decorated inside and out with woodcarvings and paintings in a riot of colours and patterns.

Paintings and carvings of Buddha and various deities adorn the walls of temples and shrines.
Articles for everyday use are still fashioned today as they were centuries ago. Traditionally, craftsmanship handed down from generation to generation.

EVENTS & FESTIVALS...
There are many festivals held at different locations at different times of the year. The best known of the festivals are "Tshechus" which are celebrated in honour of Guru Padmasambhava commemorating his great deeds. Popularly known as "Guru Rimpoche". Rhis Indian saint contributed enormously to the

diffusion of Tantric Buddhism in the Himalayan region of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan around 800 AD.

Guru Padmasambhava is founder of the Nyingmapa, the old school of Lamaism, which still has numerous followers. The biography of Guru is highlighted by 12 episodes on the model of Buddha Shakyamuni's life.

"Tshechu" which has become the name of very popular festival commemorate each episode around the year on the 10th day of the month. The dates and the duration of festival vary from one place to another but they all take place on or around 10th day of the month according to Bhutanese calendar.

Tshechus are celebrated for several days, between three and five according to location, and are the occasion for dances that are clearly defined in religious content. Both monks as well as laymen take part in these dances which are performed in a similar manner at each of the Tshechus. Certain Tshechus end with the worship of a huge applique Thangkha representing Guru Rimpoche and his eight manifestations. It is called 'THONGDROEL' and is believed that simply by viewing it people can be delivered from the cycle of reincarnations. The Bhutanese people attach great importance to festivals, which allow them to become immersed in their religion and gain merit, and it is because of this importance that the festivals are so well preserved. These events are also a time for the local people to socialize, to laugh, to joke with their neighbors and acquaintances, to dress in their finest clothes and jewelry, to eat well and generally to have good time.