BHUTAN: A Wealth of Life


Bhutan with her legendary beauty is a wealth of life in Himalayas. Although it measures only 110 miles from the north to south and 200 from east to west, Bhutan - called by its people Druk Yul, "the Land of the Thunder Dragon" -- is home to a remarkable variety of climates and ecosystems. Essentially, the country is divided into three major land regions: plains and river valleys in the south; a mid-Himalayan (5,000 to 14,000 ft. high) area north of the valleys; and the mountainous lands in the Himalayas, which range from 14,000 to 24,000 ft. above sea level.

Bhutan's unique natural beauty unites with a wide range of cultural values, languages, customs, and friendly social atmosphere. With a population 600.000 people, Bhutan is a tiny country full of colors. Carefully preserved between high mountains, Bhutan was never colonized and she has always protected her genuine culture in a natural environment. Bhutan is comprised of a mosaic of different peoples who continue to live in valleys isolated from one another and the outside world by formidable mountain passes. Differing ethnic groups are also distributed according to the varying environments. It is possible to divide Bhutan's population into three broad ethnic groups, though the distinctions blur in places.

Nature inspires us and gives us peace and calmness. Actually, whole Himalayas are noteworthy for their biological richness. Since the Himalayas' geologically recent origin less than 25 million years ago, they have molded the region's fauna and flora by limiting Indian species from moving northward, and Tibetan species from moving southward. Himalayan rivers were in place before the mountains were, and consequently, the river courses have remained unchanged while they have cut ever deeper gorges and valleys. These valleys have provided the main avenues of contact between Indian and Eurasian wildlife.

Bhutan, far less explored and catalogued, is still a mystery for the most people around the world. A land of legends, Yeti, folktales, Buddhist spirit, and peace Bhutan is our home, where we grew and became what we are today.

A View From Bhutan

A View From Bhutan
Punakha Dzong

Monday, August 6, 2007

Traditional Bhutanese House

Bhutanese houses apart from the Dzongs, monasteries, temples and bridges have a distinct character from those of other Himalayan countries. Most houses are relatively spacious and take advantage of natural light and because of the steep terrain, are usually built as scattered houses or in clusters rather than in rows. Timber, stone, clay and adobe bricks are typical construction materials. Family residences are frequently three storied with room for livestock on the ground floor, storage and sometimes living quarters on the second floor and on the third floor living quarters and a shrine. Between the third floor and the roof an open space is usually kept for open-air storage. Boulders over lath are used to hold down wooden shingles on the roof truss.
Traditional farmhouses are the main forms of secular architecture in Bhutan. The Bhutanese home is more than just a residential unit. It is also a social, economical and religious unit. Generally, traditional farmhouses are two stories high although ideally, there may be three main floors and an attic. The building may have semi-covered courtyards walled in the front, providing a link between the interior and external surroundings. This courtyard is used for purposes such as sheltering animals and storing agricultural implements.
The hierarchy of floors in a typical Bhutanese house starts with the simple lower ground floor as shelter for livestock, with upper levels used for living and religious purposes. The foundation is laid with stones placed in a trench and built up to a height of 50 cm above the ground. Walls are usually made of stone in central and eastern Bhutan, and of compacted mud offering strong and durable structure in the west. Traditionally, the windows on the lower floor are smaller than those on the upper floors. A cutout of a curved trefoil motif called a horzhing is characteristic of all windows in Bhutan. Below the high-shingled roofs, there are large open spaces used for drying agricultural products and storage. Just below the roof and above doors and windows, elaborately painted timber cornices are usually placed.
Houses can have a festive appearance if painted with floral, animal and religious motifs. Some of the most common patterns represent the lotus, the eight auspicious symbols, mythical animals and large red phalluses. The phallus is supposed to ward away evil, and many houses are decorated with carved wooden phalluses hung at the four corners or over the door. A prayer flag can be seen on the centre of the roof of all Buddhist homes
My family in Bumthang still lives in a traditional Bhutanese cottage. It is a house full of memories of my childhood, my late mother, and my late sister. I always remember long winter nights of Bumthang, sitting by the bukari (traditional heater) with all members of my family.
In the last 5 years, my beautiful country has witnessed unprecedented changes. This was primarily due to rapid economic growth and modernization which has resulted in a gradual erosion of traditional ways and values of life which one day may lead to the disappearance of Bhutan's unique architecture, especially in the growing urban towns. I hope we can preserve all the values and traditions which made us a peaceful nation today.

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