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Visit the blessed land of Bhutan nestled within Himalayas, which is an abode of spiritual gods and immortal deities where one can retreat to in search of worldly connotations of wisdom, inspiration and solitude.
Located on the eastern Himalayas, with Tibet lying towards the north, with Indian Territory of Assam and West Bengal lying to the south and east, and Sikkim towards the west.
This South Asian nation is landlocked and is covered all over by the mountains enclosed with Tibetan plateau that extend to reach the fertile valleys of lesser Himalayas.
The Great Himalayan range of Bhutan which lies about 7,500 meters above sea level stretches along the Bhutan-China boundary with Kula Kangri being the highest point in the region. Watch out for glaciated mountain peaks in the northern front that carries along an artic ambience at its highest altitude. With lesser Himalayas to the south end, the capital city of Thimpu lies in the western front. The native river experiences its tributaries meandering into the Brahmaputra river of India.
The Bhutan flag carries the design of a white dragon lying on a orange and yellow colored backdrop. Divided into two triangles with upper portion carrying the yellow color and the lower carrying the orange. It is the dragon that lies in the center facing away from the side from where it is hoisted. This dragon that clutches jewels in its claws bring along the significance of wealth through the Thunder Dragon popularaly known as Druk. The color yellow stands for the existing secular monarchy and the orange stands for the religious faith of Buddhism.
CLIMATE OF BHUTAN
The climatic condition in Bhutan drastically changes as per the location, which experiences cold winters to humid summers throughout the year. The place is exposed to tropical condition in the Southside, temperate condition in the center of the location and cold towards the northern side. Watch out the snow clad mountains especially the Thrumsing La, the snow covered mountain pass that can be dangerous during winter season. Bhutan is hit by monsoon winds during the months of late May to early October.
FLORA AND FAUNA OF BHUTAN
A tour to Bhutan's botanist paradise takes you to the dense conifer forests with variety of species thriving like the Fir forests, blue pine conifer forest, Chirpine upland, hardwood forest, lowland hardwood and tropical lowland forests.
Bhutan was once recognized as the Southern Valley of Medicinal Herbs, which covers plants like Rhododendrons, junipers, magnolias, carnivorous plants, rare orchids, blue poppy, edelweiss, gentian, medicinal plants, daphne, giant rhubarb and many others.
Bhutan boasts of aboriginal faunas like the golden langur, red pandas, black-necked crane, snow leopard, takin, musk deer, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan marten, tiger, hornbills, pheasants, mountain goats and timid blue sheep and many others.
The place records for about 770 varieties of bird species and to name some are Black necked crane, green backed tit, plumbeous water redstart, oriental turtledove.
PEOPLE OF BHUTAN
Bhutanese people are friendly in nature where the local residents honor guests in a traditional Bhutanese hospitality of greeting. The traditional attire worn by Bhutanese women is popularly known as Kira whereas the men's customary clothing is a knee length overcoat known as Gho.
There are three major ethnic groups that constitute the Bhutanese population, which includes the Sharchops well known as Eastern Bhutanese, the Ngalungs identified as Western Bhutanese and the Southern Bhutanese recognized as the Lhotshampas.
ARTS, CULTURE AND MUSIC OF BHUTAN
Art: The art used by the people here are mainly for the spiritual purposes inscribed on temples, Dzongs, Chortens and Mani walls, Thangkas, wall paintings and ritual objects. These painting and sculptures exemplify the deity god they love to portray.
The Buddhist art associates the cultural values of the region with the spiritual aspect that conveys teaching through diverse art forms.
Thangkas the religious paintings known as the Wheel of Life captures Buddha's teaching, with highlights on rebirth, karma and its origination.
Culture: Celebrate the Tshechus festivals that honor Guru Rimpochey held near the great Dzongs annually which attracts innumerable tourists around the world.
The residents join as monks in monastery headed by lamas at the age of six to nine years. It is here they come to learn the sacred texts of chhokey and languages like Dzongkha and English.
Music: The primitive folk songs and chanting styles came into existence from the influence of Bhudhist culture known as the Drukpa music. The native music includes zhungdra, boedra and rigsar .
ECONOMY OF BHUTAN
The economy of the country is mainly dependent on agriculture as industrial activity and services are limited. Around 94 per cent of the workers are involved in agriculture, animal husbandry, and forestry, which contribute to 33 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Agriculture in Bhutan comprises mainly of cereal crops, among which rice, corn, barley, millet, and wheat form the main crops. Even today, traditional farming methods are practiced and only 3 percent of the land area is cultivated. Besides this, animal husbandry is also practiced, where cattle, yaks, pigs, goats, sheep, and horses most commonly raised.
Bhutan has a large potential for hydroelectric power resources though only a few dams have been built to date; the largest being the Chukha Hydroelectric Project, which is located in Chukha, between Thimphu and Phuntsholing. Opened in 1986, it produces about $25 million in government revenues each year from electricity sold to India. Similar projects are there in the pipeline for the country. Trade and other services, including tourism, employ 5 percent of the workforce. While tourism is Bhutan's largest source of foreign exchange, the country is slightly reluctant to embrace this industry fully. Bhutan's major imports include rice, manufactured goods, fuel, and machinery while major exports include timber; agricultural products such as apples, oranges, and potatoes; handicrafts; spices such as cardamom; precious stones; and electricity. Bhutan's primary trading partner is India even as the country receives imports from Japan, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and exports goods to Bangladesh, the Middle East, Singapore, and Europe. In the year 2001, Bhutan's GDP was $533 million.
