| Bhutan is becoming increasingly known for its pure practice of Mahayana Buddhism in the Tantric form, its untouched culture, its pristine ecology and wildlife, and the unparalleled scenic beauty of its majestic peaks and lush valleys. It is still, in many ways, a magical kingdom of the past.
An Unconquered Land
It is a matter of great pride to the Bhutanese that their small kingdom was never colonised. Its ancient history, which is a mixture of the oral tradition and classical literature, tells of a largely self-sufficient population which had limited contact with the outside world until the turn of the century.
Among the earliest landmarks of Bhutanese history visible today are two seventh-century monasteries, the Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro and Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang. Both these deeply revered monasteries have been preserved and developed over the centuries.
In the eight century Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava), established several sacred religious sites which are important places of pilgrimage for the Buddhist world today. Among them are the Kurjey Lhakhang in Bumthang and the Taktshang (Tiger's Nest) Monastery in Paro.
Another important chapter in Bhutanese history unfolded in the early part of the 13th century when the Buddhist teacher, Phajo Drugom Zhingpo, introduced the Drukpa Kagyu school of Mahayana Buddhism in the western Bhutan. Over the years many other saints and religious figures helped shape Bhutan's history and develop its religion.
The Shabdrung
Perhaps the most dynamic era in Bhutanese history came in the 17th century with the arrival, in 1616, of Ngawang Namgyal, the great leader of the Drukpa school of Mahayana Buddhism.
Over the next 30 years Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal unified the country and established the foundations for national governance and the Bhutanese identity. Starting with the Simtokha Dzong in Thimphu, the Shabdrung (meaning "at whose feet one submits") constructed important dzongs, monasteries, and religious institutions and firmly established Drukpa Kagyu as the state religion.
The Shabdrung also left as his legacy the dual system of government - the temporal and theocratic - with Je Khenpo (chief abbot) as the religious head and the temporal leader known as the Desi. This system took Bhutan to the turn of the 19th century, until the birth of the Wangchuk dynasty and establishment of hereditary Monarchy in 1907. After the rule of 54 Desis and 60 Je Khenpos, the Trongsa Penlop, Jigmi Namgyal, emerged as a strong leader and was succeded, in 1881, by his dynamic son, Ugen Wangchuk. It was Gongsar Ugen Wangchuck who brought the entire nation under his rule, ending generations of strife and conflict.
In 1907, a historic Assembly of the clergy, the official administration, and the people unanimously elected Gongsar Ugen Wangchuck as the first hereditary King of Bhutan. Gongsar Ugen Wangchuck reigned until his death in 1926, and was succeeded by his son Jigme Wangchuck, who ruled the kingdom until 1952.
The reigns of the first two Kings were marked by political stability. It was the third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, who gently introduced the process of modernisation. Known as the "Father of the Modern Bhutan", King Jigmi Dorji Wangchuck initiated planned development and thus began the dramatic changes in the quality of life of the people. He also enhanced the kingdom's global role, making Bhutan a member of the United Nations and other international organisations.
King Jigmi Dorji Wangchuck ruled from 1952 to 1972. In 1972, King Jigmi Singye Wangchuck became the youngest Monarch in the world. With a strong emphasis on preserving the rich religious and cultural heritage, the dynamic young Monarch then steered the kingdom through more than 20 years of development, towards the 21st century.
A Spiritual Nation
Just as the kingdom's history is characterised by religious landmarks, the influence of religion is highly visible in every day life of the lay population. Bhutan is a spiritual nation. Hundreds of sacred monasteries, stupas, religious institution, prayer flags and prayer wheels which dot the countryside provide a strong infrastructure and atmosphere for the teachings of their living faith.
Both urban and rural Bhutan, religious ceremonies and rituals are performed regularly and with reverence. On auspicious days Bhutanese families make pilgrimages to monasteries to offer prayers and butter lamps. The horoscope of Bhutanese life is drawn from the scriptures. National and regional festivities, coinciding with the seasons, are major events for the entire population the year round. The Buddhist world, thus, regards the kingdom with special importance as the last bastion of Mahayana Buddhism. Earlier this century, an ethic Nepalese minority, settled in the southern regions of the country, brought Hinduism which is regarded in Bhutan as being closely related to Buddhism.
A Rich Culture
Bhutanese language and literature, the areas and crafts, ceremonies and events, and basic social and cultural values draw their essence from religious teachings. The tradition of fine art is alive today, manifested, for example, in products like the legendary thangkas. The exquisite traditional painting is also visible on monasteries and houses, skilfully enhancing the architecture.
Architecture is also a significant feature of the Bhutanese identity. The combination of engineering skill and aesthetic beauty is unparalleled in all structures, from the massive monastic fortresses to houses and bridges. Traditional shapes, colours and patterns on the walls, doors, windows, plave Bhutanese architecture in a class of its own.
Music, dance, and handicrafts, both by the clergy and the lay population, play an important role in national, village, or domestic functions and festivals. Bhutan's textile tradition has, in recent years, gone international. The distinct technique, colour and style of indigenous Bhutanese weaving is being increasingly appreciated by textile specialists, collectors, and users.
The naitonal language of Bhutan is Dzongkha. The people also speak more than 18 dialects across the country. Today, English is taught in the schools and is used as the official working language, but the national leaders emphasise the development and use of Dzongkha
A Natural Paradise
Bhutan has been described as a natural paradise. Even as the world mourns the loss of its ecology, this small Himalayan Kingdom is emerging as an example to the international community, with more than 72 percent of its land still under forest and a great variety of rare plant and wildlife species.
Wedged between China and India, Bhutan's terrain ranges from the sub-tropical foothills in the south, through the temperate zones, to dizzying heights of over 7,300 meters (24,000 feet). In Historical records Bhutan was known as Lhojong Menjong 'the Southern Valley of Medicinal Herbs' Besides these rare herbs, the Bhutanese seasons are reflected in full colour by wind flowers and plants which carpet the mountainsides.
Among them, Rhododendron of numerous shades and the Blue Poppy, the National flower, are visual delight across the country. The dense forests, also ranging from the sub-tropical to the temperate, are home to numerous rate and endangered species of wildlife like the Blue Sheep, the elusive Snow Leopard, the Himalayan Black Bear, the Golden langur, the Takin.
Several northern valleys are home to the Black Necked Crane in winter. With the beauty of the majestic snow-capped peaks and fertile valleys, the clean crisp air, unpolluted habitats, and large tracts of virgin forests, Bhutan is, indeed, a unique world .
Challenges and change
, housing and urban problems, rural-urban migration, illegal immigration, and numerous other problems are becoming more visible today.
Yet it is inevitable that Bhutan is changing. Three decades of development have had a dramatic impact on the kingdom which has moved, in a short span of time, from the medieval age into the 21th century. A comprehensive network of roads, school and hospitals reaching their services to the people, a modern telecommunication system, increasing contact with the international community, urbanisation, and a growing private sector cannot but bring change.
Development and progress have also brought their less desirable side effects. Crime, environmental pressures, juvenile delinquency, traffic and pollution, the video culture
But, just as the Bhutanese people chose to guard their magical kingdom in its pristine form through the centuries, they are determined to balance development and change. The essence of modernisation in Bhutan has been a blend of tradition and progress. The protective Bhutanese psyche, which kept the kingdom in a jealously guarded isolation, is visible in the controlled tourism policy, strong sense of environmental protection, and the careful pace of all-round development.
Bhutan has long decided that economic achievement is no replavement for its unique national identity. In the past, the kingdom fought aggression, in different forms, to safeguard its interests, its priorities, and its identity. The future will be no different.
The People
Bhutan's population is, in many ways, one large family. More than 90 percent of the people live on subsistence farming, scattered in sparsely populated villages across the rugged terrain of the Himalayas.
With rice as the staple diet in the lower regions, and wheat, buckwheat, and maize in the other valleys, the people farm narrow terrances cut into the steep hill slopes. Bhutanese communities settled in the valleys with limited communication in the past. It is for this reason that the sense of individuality and independence emerges as a strong characteristic of the people.
It is for the same reason that, despite the small population, it has developed a number of languages and dialects. The Bhutanese are, by nature, physically strong and fiercely independent with an open and ready sense of humour. Hospitality is an in-built social value in Bhutan.
* Source: Bhutan News..... www.kuenselonline.com
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