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LAND AND ITS PEOPLE
BHUTAN
Bhutan
Silence echoes... The tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan remained far from the tinsel of self-promotion, but kept on progressing on its own strength unfazed by the public perception that grew in India against it over various militant groups from the Northeast using its jungles. Madhuparna Bhattacharjee unveils the tiny Kingdom that has got a lot to offer to those who love the nature.
Prayer flags
38
August 08
W
ay back in the year 2003, ‘Operation All Clear took place.’ Being a journalist, I had the chance of going to Sondrup Jonkhar, a Bhutanese area neighbouring Assam to cover it. On being there for a few days, I realized that Bhutan has a lot more to offer to the people of India, apart from the most commonly discussed militancy and insurgency. I felt that I must visit the country, trek the Druk Path, explore and experience the tiny jewel, mystical culture of Bhutan. Hidden deep in the folds of the great Himalayas for centuries, this country developed its own civilization. Prayer flags stand high in almost all locations, giving the feeling that invocations are heard best by the gods and goddesses of the mighty Himalayas. I never knew the meaning of the word Bhutan until I actually visited the place. It is believed that the term has been derived from ‘Bhot,’ which is the name given by the Tibetans to their own country and ‘Tan,’ which I think is again a modification of the word ‘Stan’ meaning Land. Interestingly, the Bhutanese prefer to call their beloved country ‘Druk Yul,’ meaning ‘The Land of the Dragon.’ However, due to the harmonious nature of the people, it has acquired an additional nickname, Deki Druk Yul, which is supposed to mean The Land of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon. Imagine a country being given a nickname due to the nature of its citizens. Very appealing, I feel. Aren’t you now in the mood to know more about these people and their land, their undiluted cultures and unspoiled natural wonders? Bhutan’s past is still its present. Our journey was tiring as we chose to travel by road. Being a team of seven journalists, all adventurous by nature and more due to the demand of the profession, our choice was the strenuous drive instead of the more comfortable
by-air travel. Unbelievably, the tiredness all seemed to have vanished on setting foot in Bhutan. We were in Thimphu, the country’s capital city. There were prayer flags fluttering in whichever direction we turned. The sound of silence kept echoing and haunting us. A few Bhutanese men in their traditional attire were on their way to some place. They smiled at us; their eyes radiated warmth and affection. We asked them the direction to the hotel that we had booked. Speaking softly they showed us which route to follow. We had made a small list of the places we must see. Besides Thimphu, our next on the list was Punaka, the old capital of Bhutan. We started early next morning. After a three hour drive towards the east of Thimphu, we reached our destination. The place is indeed a superb example of Bhutanese architecture. On the bank of the river Punaka, majestically stands the Punaka Dzong, a view hard to forget. Our intention was to visit both the old and the new capital of the country. So, we did not stay long in Punaka. On our way back to Thimphu, we stopped at a road side inn for lunch. Unable to bear the hunger, we first ordered for seven bowls of meat stew. As luck could have it, there was nothing much that they could offer for a heavy meals, other than rice, at that moment. But, as we were ravenous, we asked them to bring for us whatever they thought would be filling. After a wait of almost 25 minutes, a stout man brought a tray full of dried vegetables spiced with chillies and cheese and steaming rice. At that moment it felt like heaven to have some food in front of us, whatever be it.
Prayer Wheels However, the preparation was not bad. We all ate like gluttons. Huh... What a relief! Someone had told us that Ema Datshi, made very spicy with cheese and chillies, might be called the national dish for its popularity, and more importantly, the pride that the Bhutanese have for it. We planned to ask the local people in Thimphu, as to which restaurant we should go in order to taste the dish. On reaching Thimphu in the evening, we went straight to our hotel, called up room service and requested for butter tea. As we were from a different country, the manager of the hotel sent complimentary cheese, made from Yak August 08
61
BHUTAN
Bhutan
Silence echoes... The tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan remained far from the tinsel of self-promotion, but kept on progressing on its own strength unfazed by the public perception that grew in India against it over various militant groups from the Northeast using its jungles. Madhuparna Bhattacharjee unveils the tiny Kingdom that has got a lot to offer to those who love the nature.
Prayer flags
38
August 08
W
ay back in the year 2003, ‘Operation All Clear took place.’ Being a journalist, I had the chance of going to Sondrup Jonkhar, a Bhutanese area neighbouring Assam to cover it. On being there for a few days, I realized that Bhutan has a lot more to offer to the people of India, apart from the most commonly discussed militancy and insurgency. I felt that I must visit the country, trek the Druk Path, explore and experience the tiny jewel, mystical culture of Bhutan. Hidden deep in the folds of the great Himalayas for centuries, this country developed its own civilization. Prayer flags stand high in almost all locations, giving the feeling that invocations are heard best by the gods and goddesses of the mighty Himalayas. I never knew the meaning of the word Bhutan until I actually visited the place. It is believed that the term has been derived from ‘Bhot,’ which is the name given by the Tibetans to their own country and ‘Tan,’ which I think is again a modification of the word ‘Stan’ meaning Land. Interestingly, the Bhutanese prefer to call their beloved country ‘Druk Yul,’ meaning ‘The Land of the Dragon.’ However, due to the harmonious nature of the people, it has acquired an additional nickname, Deki Druk Yul, which is supposed to mean The Land of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon. Imagine a country being given a nickname due to the nature of its citizens. Very appealing, I feel. Aren’t you now in the mood to know more about these people and their land, their undiluted cultures and unspoiled natural wonders? Bhutan’s past is still its present. Our journey was tiring as we chose to travel by road. Being a team of seven journalists, all adventurous by nature and more due to the demand of the profession, our choice was the strenuous drive instead of the more comfortable
by-air travel. Unbelievably, the tiredness all seemed to have vanished on setting foot in Bhutan. We were in Thimphu, the country’s capital city. There were prayer flags fluttering in whichever direction we turned. The sound of silence kept echoing and haunting us. A few Bhutanese men in their traditional attire were on their way to some place. They smiled at us; their eyes radiated warmth and affection. We asked them the direction to the hotel that we had booked. Speaking softly they showed us which route to follow. We had made a small list of the places we must see. Besides Thimphu, our next on the list was Punaka, the old capital of Bhutan. We started early next morning. After a three hour drive towards the east of Thimphu, we reached our destination. The place is indeed a superb example of Bhutanese architecture. On the bank of the river Punaka, majestically stands the Punaka Dzong, a view hard to forget. Our intention was to visit both the old and the new capital of the country. So, we did not stay long in Punaka. On our way back to Thimphu, we stopped at a road side inn for lunch. Unable to bear the hunger, we first ordered for seven bowls of meat stew. As luck could have it, there was nothing much that they could offer for a heavy meals, other than rice, at that moment. But, as we were ravenous, we asked them to bring for us whatever they thought would be filling. After a wait of almost 25 minutes, a stout man brought a tray full of dried vegetables spiced with chillies and cheese and steaming rice. At that moment it felt like heaven to have some food in front of us, whatever be it.
Prayer Wheels However, the preparation was not bad. We all ate like gluttons. Huh... What a relief! Someone had told us that Ema Datshi, made very spicy with cheese and chillies, might be called the national dish for its popularity, and more importantly, the pride that the Bhutanese have for it. We planned to ask the local people in Thimphu, as to which restaurant we should go in order to taste the dish. On reaching Thimphu in the evening, we went straight to our hotel, called up room service and requested for butter tea. As we were from a different country, the manager of the hotel sent complimentary cheese, made from Yak August 08
61
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