Bhutan

Bhutan is a small mountainous kingdom in the Himalayas. The people live in the valleys where they grow rice and vegetables. They wear national costume and have a vibrant culture based on Buddhism. Small temples dot the countryside and prayer flags and prayer wheels are ubiquitous. Each major town has an imposing white building called a Dzong. Originally built as fortresses in the 17th century, they now serve as monasteries and administrative centres. Every year the Tsechu festivals are held in temples around the country. Each festival lasts for 3 days and features ritual dances performed by monks accompanied by temple musicians playing ancient instruments. Young women provide interludes of singing and clowns entertain the crowd. Outside the temple, gambling games and archery are popular with the men. The dances each have their own story, with related costumes and very old wooden masks that are permanently kept in the temple. At the end of each festival the local people queue for a blessing from a guru. I visited Bhutan in September 2014 and had privileged access to two festivals. See also my AV on a Bhutanese Tsechu Festival. This visit was a special experience in a country which is on its own path to development through the principles of Gross National Happiness. Two aspects of this approach were clearly evident: maintenance of cultural heritage and preservation of the environment.