KINGDOM OF BHUTAN
The kingdom of Bhutan, popularly known as "Land of the Thunder Dragon" is a small country lying hidden in the lap of the eastern Himalayas. This mountainous paradise is counted among the most desirable tourist destinations today, owing to the unsurpassed beauty of its landscape, immensly rich and unique culture and awe inspiring legends. Wedged between India and China, Bhutan occupies a strategic place in the socio-political balance of the region. The simple god fearing and hard working people of Bhutan still adhere to their traditional way of life. They strictly follow and practice ideals of Buddhist values like non-violence and compassion where much emphasis is given to the preservation of the sacred environment. Today Bhutan occupies a coveted position as one of the ten most important ecological "Hot Spot" on earth teaming with an astounding variety of flora, fauna and avifauna ranging from the plains to the highest Himalayan peaks.
History of Bhutan.
For the early explorers and envoys of the British government who ventured into this fabled land, it was Bootan, their reports ringing with strength and marvelous name rendered in imaginative phonetic spellings the ancient Buddhist writers called their fertile neighbor "Lho Mon" or "Mon Yul", Paradise of the South, Land of the Mons. To the inhabitants it is not Bhutan at all, but Druk or Druk Yul, Land of the thunder dragon. From the available "Namthar" and artifacts surviving in a few ancient monasteries, the prehistoric era of Bhutan can still be traced to somewhere between 500 and 600 A.D. As a landlocked country, the history of Bhutan has always been influenced by its geography. Bhutan's historical legends, however, begin with the visit of Guru Padmasambhava, who is believed to have come from Tibet in 747 A.D.
From then on, the Buddhist faith has played a large part in shaping the course of this country's history. Although Bhutan was not unified under a central authority until the 17th century, evidence strongly suggests that it had existed as an independent entity from at least the 7th century on. Its formidable geographic boundaries kept it free of foreign authority and allowed it to develop a strong degree of common identity despite the ethnic and linguistic diversity of its inhabitants. The 17th century witnessed the unification of Bhutan under the charismatic Nawang Namgyal who took the honorary title of Shabdrung. In 1865, the Penlop of Tongsa named Jigme Namgyel became the strong man of Bhutan and bequeathed his son Ugyen Wangchuk that position. And then came a series of rulers under whose guidance Bhutan has grown from strength to strength.
The People and Religion of Bhutan.
The inhabitants of Bhutan are warm, simple, hard working and open. They are peace loving and have a lively sense of humor. Bhutan 's people fall into three broad ethnic groups. The Sharchops, believed to have been the earliest inhabitants of the country, live largely in the eastern regions. The Naglops are the descendants of Tibetan immigrants who came to Bhutan from about the 9th century onward, settling primarily in the west.
The third sections of population are the Nepalese, who began to settle in the south towards the end of the last century. Predominantly Buddhist, the Bhutanese practice the Drukpa Kagyupa sect of Mayana Buddhism. Religion has saved the history of nation and continuous to play an important role in the life of the god faring and spiritual people. All over Bhutan evidence of this can be seen in many religious monuments and symbols that have been erected. Practically every Bhutanese home has an altar were daily religious observance are carried out by the family. Monks are held in high respects and play an active part in community life and in the government.
From then on, the Buddhist faith has played a large part in shaping the course of this country's history. Although Bhutan was not unified under a central authority until the 17th century, evidence strongly suggests that it had existed as an independent entity from at least the 7th century on. Its formidable geographic boundaries kept it free of foreign authority and allowed it to develop a strong degree of common identity despite the ethnic and linguistic diversity of its inhabitants. The 17th century witnessed the unification of Bhutan under the charismatic Nawang Namgyal who took the honorary title of Shabdrung. In 1865, the Penlop of Tongsa named Jigme Namgyel became the strong man of Bhutan and bequeathed his son Ugyen Wangchuk that position. And then came a series of rulers under whose guidance Bhutan has grown from strength to strength.
System of Government in Bhutan.
In 1907, a historic assembly of the clergy, the official administration, and the people unanimously elected Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck as the first hereditary ling of Bhutan. He was succeeded by his son Jigme Wangchuck.
The third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, known as the "Father of the Modern Bhutan", initiated planned development and led the country into the global arena with memberships in the United Nations and other international organizations.
In 1972, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck became the youngest monarch in the world. In the short span of four decades of his rule, Bhutan has leapt from the medieval to one of the fastest developing nations of the new millenium. He has steered the kingdom towards democracy and as of now, the country has two registered political parties, Druk Puensum Tshogpa (DPT) and People's Democratic Party (PDP). Druk Puensum Tshogpa has won the national election held in March 2008 with 45 seats out of 47 seats
Culture, Tradition and Art.
Bhutanese language and literature, the arts and crafts, ceremonies and events, and social and cultural values draw their essence from religious teachings; Government policy, royal patronage and the faith of the people have ensured their preservation and promotion.
Architecture is also a significant feature of the Bhutanese identity. The combination of engineering skill and aesthetic beauty is unparalleled in the massive monastic fortresses to houses and bridges.
Music and dance, performed by the clergy and the lay population, play an important role in national, village, or domestic functions and festivals. Bhutan is equally renowned for its handicrafts and its textile tradition has become internationally recognized.
Festivals of Bhutan.
At various times of the year, Bhutanese in towns and villages congregate to witness mask dance festival known as,"Tshechus". This colorful events draw thousands of locals some of whom have to walk for days while the underlying purpose is spiritual, the dances are more often like plays where good triumphs over evil or depicts significant historical events expecially about the life of Bhutan's patron saint, Guru Padmasambhava. There is inevitably a great deal of socializing; it is an opportunity for people to relax and forget daily routines, to dress intheir finest clothes and jewelry but, more importantly, it is an occassion for prayer and blessings.
Tshechus mainly comprise mask dances in addition to some folk dance entertaintment. Festivals are not peagent or events and definitely not held as Tourist attractions. They are genuine manifestations of ancient religious traditions, which outsiders are given the privilage to witness.
Way of Life
More than 70 % of the Bhutanese population live on subsistence farming, scattered in sparsely populated hamlets across the nation. The Bhutanese are fiercely independent, but friendly and hospitable. They are deeply religious and their everyday lives are influenced by the tenets of Buddhism. They enjoy their sports, unique variations of archery, Khuru (Darts) and Dego (Quoits) and never miss an opportunity to sing and dance.
Gross National Happiness
The concept of Gross National Happiness was first expressed by His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the fourth king of Bhutan. He coined this concept to strengthen his commitment to build an Economy that would serve Bhutan's unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. It is rooted in the Buddhist notion that the ultimate purpose of life is inner happiness. Bhutan being a Buddhist country, the King felt the responsibility to define development in terms of happiness of its people, rather than in terms of an abstract economic measurement such as Gross National Product (GNP).
The concept of GNH defines Bhutan’s development objective as improvement in the happiness and satisfaction of the people rather than growth of Gross National Product (GNP). GNH has been the overarching development philosophy of Bhutan as the concept has guided the country’s development policies and programmes. GNH suggests that happiness is the ultimate objective of development. It recognizes that there are many more dimensions to development than those associated with Gross National Product (GNP), and that development should be understood as a total process that seeks to maximize happiness rather than purely economic growth.
The country believes that for a holistic development of the individual and society, it is essential that development achieves a sustainable balance between the economic, social, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs of the people. This has led to the declared objective of viewing development as a continuous process towards maintaining balance between the material and the intangible needs of individuals and society. The concept reminds the country that the means must always be considered in terms of the end and, therefore, every step in material development and change must be measured and evaluated to ensure that it will lead to happiness, not just more development.
Having accepted that the maximum of Gross National Happiness (GNH) is philosophy and objective of the country’s development, it was felt necessary to more clearly identify the main areas, and create the condition to enable the people to attain greater happiness. Recognizing that a wide range of factors contribute to human well-being and happiness and that it may not be possible to exhaustively define or list everything for the purpose of its development planning, Bhutan has identified four major areas as the main pillars of GNH. These are economic growth and development, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, preservation and sustainable use of the environment, and good governance.
Guided by the ideas of Gross National Happiness (GNH), Bhutan has been making steady progress in every sector toward the goal of modernization. Hydroelectric power, economically the most significant sector for Bhutan’s goal of self-sustaining development, has grown impressively. The education, social services and health sectors have made great strides forward and continue to be the most important social components of the country.
