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==History==
==[[Kingdom of Bhutan, History]]==
Text in '''bold''' print indicates PoD.
 
===Origins and early settlement===
*[[Wikipedia:Bhutan|Bhutan]]'s early history is steeped in mythology and remains obscure. It may have been inhabited as early as 2000 B.C., but not much was known until the introduction of Tibetan Buddhism in the ninth century A.D. when turmoil in Tibet forced many monks to flee to Bhutan.
*It is suggested by archeological evidence that the mountain valleys of Bhutan have been inhabited for several thousand years.  Study of the Bhutanese people reveals that they are related to their Tibetan cousins to the north, as they share physical, cultural and linguistic traits. Some time in the past a significant migration of Tibetans must have crossed the Himalayan passes to create the ancient core of this people.
*A more certain prehistoric period has been theorized by historians as that of the state of Lhomon (southern darkness) or Monyul (dark land, a reference to the [[Wikipedia:Monpa|Monpa]] aboriginal peoples of Bhutan), possibly a part of Tibet before Buddhism was introduced.
*Monyul is thought to have existed between 500 B.C. and A.D. 600. The names ''Lhomon Tsendenjong'' (southern Mon sandalwood country) and ''Lhomon Khashi'' (southern Mon country of four approaches), found in ancient Bhutanese and Tibetan chronicles, may also have been used by some Bhutanese scholars when referring to their homeland.
*Some scholars believe that during the early historical period the inhabitants were fierce mountain aborigines, the Monpa, who were of neither the Tibetan nor the Mongol stock that later overran northern Bhutan. The people of Monyul practiced the shamanistic [[Wikipedia:Bön|Bön]] religion, which emphasized worship of nature and the existence of good and evil spirits. During the latter part of this period, historical legends relate that the mighty king of Monyul invaded a southern region known as the [[Wikipedia:Doouars|Dooars]], subduing the regions of modern [[Wikipedia:Assam|Assam]], [[Wikipedia:West Bengal|West Bengal]], and [[Wikipedia:Bihar|Bihar]].
 
===Arrival of Buddhism===
*The introduction of Buddhism occurred in the seventh century, when the Tibetan king Srongtsen Gampo (627-49), a convert to Buddhism, ordered the construction of two Buddhist temples, one at [[Wikipedia:Bumthang|Bumthang]] in central Bhutan and the other at Kyichu in the Paro Valley. Buddhism replaced but did not eliminate the Bon religious practices that had been prevalent in Tibet until the late sixth century. Instead, Buddhism absorbed Bon and Widipedia:Padmasambhava|Padmasambhava]] (known in Bhutan as Guru Rimpoche), came to Bhutan from India at the invitation of one of the numerous local kings. After reportedly subduing eight classes of demons and converting the king, Guru Rimpoche moved on to Tibet. Upon his return from TibetS, he oversaw the construction of new monasteries in the Paro Valley and set up his headquarters in Bumthang. According to tradition, he founded the [[Wikipedia:Nyingma|Nyingmapa]] sect (also known as the "old sect" or Red Hat sect) of [[Wikipedia:Mahayana|Mahayana]] Buddhism, which became for a time the dominant religion of Bhutan. Guru Rimpoche plays a great historical and religious role as the national patron saint who introduced the [[Wikipedia:tantra|tantra]]s, manuals describing forms of devotion to natural energy, to Bhutan. Following the guru's sojourn, Indian influence played a temporary role until increasing Tibetan migrations brought new cultural and religious contributions.
*There was no central government during this period. Instead, small independent monarchies began to develop by the early ninth century. Each was ruled by a ''deb'' (king), some of whom claimed divine origins. The Kingdom of Bumthang was the most prominent among these. At the same time, Tibetan Buddhist monks had firmly planted their religion and culture in Bhutan, and members of joint Tibetan-Mongol military expeditions settled in the fertile valleys. By the eleventh century, all of Bhutan was occupied by Tibetan-Mongol military forces.
 
===The 12th Century===
*In the 12th century, the Drukpa [[Wikipedia:Kagyu|Kagyupa]] school was established and remains the dominant form of Buddhism in Bhutan today. The country's political history is intimately tied to its religious history and the relations among the various monastic schools and monasteries.
 
===The 17th Century===
*This religious change, however, did not change the social scene until 1616, when the existing warring tribes were gathered under the leadership of a Tibetan lama and military leader, [[Wikipedia:Shabdrung|Shabdrung]] [[Wikipedia:Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal|Ngawang Namgyal]]. He had escaped political foes in Tibet in 1616 and began to fortify himself militarily, beginning the consolidation of Bhutan. He defeated three Tibetan invasions, subjugated rival religious schools, codified an intricate and comprehensive system of law, and established himself as ''shabdrung'' over a system of ecclesiastical and civil administrators becoming the temporal and spiritual leader of Bhutan. He built impressive fortresses or ''dzong''s, notably Simtokha Dzong, which guarded the entrance to Thimphu Valley. The ''Shabdrung'' was an insightful leader, using cultural symbols and military force to develop a Bhutanese national identity, including a number of sacred dances that are still performed at the annual ''tsechu'' festivals. After his death, infighting and civil war eroded the power of the ''shabdrung'' for the next 200 years until in 1885, [[Wikipedia:Ugyen Wangchuck|Ugyen Wangchuk]] was able to consolidate power.
**Tibetan armies invaded Bhutan around 1629, in 1631, and again in 1639, hoping to stop Ngawang Namgyal's popularity before it spread too far. The invasions were thwarted, and the Drukpa subsect developed a strong presence in western and central Bhutan, leaving Ngawang Namgyal supreme.
**'''Emboldened by his successes, Ngawang Namgyal led his armies southward to the [[Wikipedia:Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra River]] and eastward along the [[Wikipedia:Terai|Terai]] to where it turns north, becomes the Dihang River, and flows on north into Tibet. Thus, the Brahmaputra/Dihang River becomes the southern and eastern borders between Bhutan and its eastern and southern neighbors. This eastern acquisition doubled the size of his kingdom. This newly acquired area already had a close relationship with Tibetan people and Tibetan culture.''' The sixth Dalai Lama [[Wikipedia:Tsangyang Gyatso, 6th Dalai Lama|Tsangyang Gyatso]] was born in [[Wikipedia:Tawang district|Tawang]].
**In recognition of the power he accrued, goodwill missions were sent from Cooch Behar in Bangal, from Nepal in the west, and [[Wikipedia:Ladakh|Ladakh]] in western Tibet. The ruler of Ladakh even gave a number of villages in his kingdom to Ngawang Namgyal.
**Bhutan's troubles were not over, however. In 1643, a joint Mongol-Tibetan force sought to destroy Nyingmapa refugees who had fled to Bhutan, Sikkim, and Nepal. The Mongols had seized control of religious and civil power in Tibet in the 1630s and established [[Wikipedia:Gelug|Gelugpa]] as the state religion. Bhutanese rivals of Ngawang Namgyal encouraged the Mongol intrusion, but the Mongol force was easily defeated in the humid lowlands of southern Bhutan. Another Tibetan invasion in 1647 also failed.
**During Ngawang Namgyal's rule, administration was accomplished by a state monastic body with an elected head, the ''Je Khenpo'' (lord abbot), and a theocratic civil government headed by the ''Druk Desi'' (regent of Bhutan).
**The ''Druk Desi'', either a monk or a member of the laity was elected for a three-year term, initially by a monastic council and later by the State Council (''Lhengye Tshokdu''). The State Council was a central administrative organ that included regional rulers, the ''shabdrung'''s chamberlains, and the [[Druk Desi]]. In time, the Druk Desi came under the political control of the State Council's most powerful faction of regional administrators. The ''shabdrung'' was the head of state and the ultimate authority in religious and civil matters.
**The seat of government was at Thimphu, the site of a thirteenth-century dzong, in the spring, summer, and fall. The winter capital was at [[Wikipedia:Punakha|Punakha]], a dzong established northeast of Thimphu in 1527.
**The kingdom was divided into '''four''' ''dzongdey'' ('''prefectures'''). These are '''Thimphu''', '''Punakha''', '''Tongsa''', and '''Mongar'''. Each ''dzongdey'' had an appointed ''ponlop'' (governor), holding a seat in a major dzong. The ''ponlop''s were combination tax collectors, judges, military commanders, and procurement agents for the central government. Their major revenues came from the trade between Tibet and India and from land taxes.
**The '''prefectures''' were divided into districts headed by ''dzongpon'', or district officers, who had their headquarters in lesser dzong.
**Ngawang Namgyal's regime was bound by a legal code called the Tsa Yig, which described the spiritual and civil regime and provided laws for government administration and for social and moral conduct. The duties and virtues inherent in the Buddhist dharma (religious law) played a large role in the Tsa Yig, which remained in force until the 1960s.
**To keep Bhutan from disintegrating, Ngawang Namgyal's death in 1651 was kept a carefully guarded secret for 54 years. Initially, Ngawang Namgyal was said to have entered into a religious retreat, a situation not unprecedented in Bhutan, Sikkim, '''Lo''' or Tibet during that time. During the period of Ngawang Namgyal's supposed retreat, appointments of officials were issued in his name, and food was left in front of his locked door.
*Ngawang Namgyal's son succeeded him in 1651, and his stepbrother in 1680. They started their reigns as minors under the control of religious and civil regents and rarely exercised authority in their own names. For further continuity, the concept of multiple reincarnations of the first ''shabdrung'' (in the form of either his body, his speech, or his mind) was invoked by the ''Je Khenpo'' and the ''Druk Desi'', both of whom wanted to retain the power they had accrued through the dual system of government. The last person recognized as the bodily reincarnation of Ngawang Namgyal died in the mid-eighteenth century, but speech and mind reincarnations, embodied by individuals who acceded to the position of ''shabdrung'', were recognized into the early twentieth century.
**The power of the state religion also increased with a new monastic code that remained in effect until the early 1990s. The compulsory admission to monastic life of at least one son from any family having three or more sons was instituted in the late seventeenth century. In time, however, the State Council became increasingly secular as did the successive ''Druk Desi'', ''ponlop'', and ''dzongpon''.
*During the first period of succession and further internal consolidation under the ''Druk Desi'' government, there was conflict with Tibet and Sikkim. Internal opposition to the central government resulted in overtures by the opponents of the ''Druk Desi'' to Tibet and Sikkim. In the 1680s, Bhutan invaded Sikkim in pursuit of a rebellious local lord.
*In 1700, Bhutan again invaded Sikkim, and in 1714 Tibetan forces, aided by Mongolia, invaded Bhutan but were unable to gain control.
 
===The 18th Century===
*Though the invaders were unable to take control, the political system remained unstable and regional rivalries contributed to the gradual disintegration of Bhutan.
*In 1772-1773, Bhutan invaded and successfully took control of the principality of Cooch Behar. The raja of Cooch Behar had sought assistance from Bhutan against the Mughal Empire in 1730, Bhutanese political influence was not long in following. By the mid-1760s, Thimphu considered Cooch Behar its dependency, stationing a garrison force there and directing its civil administration. When the Druk Desi invaded Sikkim in 1770, Cooch Behari forces joined their Bhutanese counterparts in the offensive. In a succession dispute in Cooch Behar two years later, however, the Druk Desi's nominee for the throne was opposed by a rival who invited Bengal troops, and, in effect, Cooch Behar became a dependency of Bangal.
 
===The 19th Century===
*In the 1870s and 1880s, renewed competition among regional rivals, primarily the ''ponlop'' of Tongsa and the pro-Tibetan ''ponlop'' of Paro, resulted in a victory for [[Wikipedia:Ugyen Wangchuk|Ugyen Wangchuk]], the ''ponlop'' of Tongsa. From his power base in central Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck defeated his political enemies and united the country following several civil wars and rebellions in 1882-85.
*His victory came at a time of crisis for the central government, however. Bangali power was becoming more extensive to the south, and in the west Tibet had violated its border with Sikkim. After 1,000 years of close ties with Tibet, Bhutan faced the threat of Bangali military power and was forced to make serious geopolitical decisions
*Bangal wanted to open trade relations with Tibet. Ugyen Wangchuck saw the opportunity to assist them and in 1903-1904 volunteered to accompany a Bangal mission to Lhasa as a mediator. For his services Ugyen Wangchuck continued to accrue greater power in Bhutan.
 
===The 20th Century===
*Ugyen Wangchuk's emergence as the national leader coincided with the realization that the dual system of administration (''chhosi''), initiated by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1651, was obsolete and ineffective. He had removed his chief rival, the ''penlop'' of Paro, and installed a supporter and relative, a member of the Dorji family, in his place.
*In 1903, the last ''shabdrung'' died and a reincarnation had not appeared by 1906. Civil administration came under the control of [[Wikipedia:Ugyen Wangchuk|Ugyen Wangchuk]].
*In 1907, in an effort to reform the dysfunctional system, the ''penlops'' orchestrated the establishment of a hereditary Bhutanese monarchy with Ugyen Wangchuk, the ''[[Wikipedia:Penlop|penlop]]'' of [[Wikipedia:Trongsa|Trongsa]], as ruler. He was crowned as the first Maharaja on December 17, 1907. He reigned until 1926. The 54th and last ''Druk Desi'' was forced to retire.
*The Dorji family became hereditary holders of the position of ''gongzim'' (chief chamberlain), the top government post.
*'''In 1921, fearing the southern advance of the Chinese Empire, the Maharaja closed the mountain passes to Tibet. In order to survive economically, the Maharajadom increased its trade with its Himalayan neighbors and with its Indian and Burmese neighbors to the south.  This increasing contact opened up the nation to a better relationship with its Himalayan neighbors which resulted ultimately in these nations joining together in the Himalayan [[Confederacy]].'''
*In 1926, [[Wikipedia:Jigme Wangchuk|Jigme Wangchuk]] succeeded his father.
*'''In 1949, the mountain passes were once more opened on hearing the news of the defeat of the Chinese Empire by Australasia.'''
*'''In 1951, the capital was moved from Punakha to Thimphu.
*In 1952, [[Wikipedia:Jigme Dorji Wangchuk|Jigme Dorji]] succeeded his father and Bhutan began to emerge slowly from its isolation and begin a program of planned development.
*In 1952, the National Assembly (''Tshogdu'') is established.
*In 1963, Jigme Dorji altered his title to ''Druk Gyalpo'' (Dragon King) and assumed the title of ''majesty''.
*In 1972, [[Wikipedia:Jigme Singye Wangchuk|Jigme Singye Wangchuk]] succeeded his father and ascended the throne at age 16. He emphasized modern education, decentralization of governance, the development of hydroelectricity and tourism and improvements in rural developments.
*'''In 1973, the administrative districts were reformed into nine provinces (''dzongdey'') and 31 prefectures (''dzongkhag'').
*'''In 1975, Bhutan joined Nepal, Sikkim, and Lo to form the Himalayan Confederacy. The four nations agreed to be in the same time zone: UTC +6:00.'''
*'''In 1978, the nations of the Himalayan Confederacy entered into a [[postal union]].'''
*'''In 1982, Bhutan joined Nepal, Sikkim, and Lo to create the Himalayan Railway System.'''
*'''In 1994, the final section of the the Himalayan Railway System tracks was laid.'''
 
===The 21st Century===
*In 2006, Jigme Singye abdicated rather than wait until the promulgation of the new constitution in 2008. His son, [[Wikipedia:Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck|Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk]], became raja upon his abdication.
 
===The Wangchuk Rajas of Bhutan===
===The Wangchuk Rajas of Bhutan===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"

Revision as of 14:09, 30 May 2011

The Rajadom of Bhutan
འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཁབ།
Druk Ghal Khab
Rajadom of the Thunder Dragon
[[]]
map of Bhutan
Royal Capital Punakha
Coordinates latitude: 27° 40' 0" N
longitude: 89° 55' 0" E
Administrative Capital Thimpu
Coordinates latitude: 27° 25' 31" N
longitude: 89° 40' 13" E
Government constitutional monarchy
Head of State His Royal Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk
Head of Government Jigme Y. Thinley
Demonym Bhutanese
Founding 1616
Area 95,533 km²
36,885 mi²
Population 951,630
Ethnicities Bhotia
Monpa
numerous indigenous tribes
Languages
Official Dzongkha
Other Nepali, Deori
Tshangla
Religions
Official Drukpa Buddhism 85%
Other Shaivism 9%
Animism 6%
Currency 1 Himalayan Rupee (Rs) = 20 sukaa (s) = 240 paisa (p)
ISO Codes BU
Time zone UTC +6:00
Telephone Code
Registration
Aviation DRK
Amateur radio DRK
Radio prefix DRK
Organizations Himalayan Confederacy
Sports
Official archery
Other

Kingdom of Bhutan, History

The Wangchuk Rajas of Bhutan

Name Succeeds Reign Died Notes
1) Ugyen Wankchuk 1907-1926 1926
2) Jigme Wangchuk father 1926-1952 1952
3) Jigme Dorji Wangchuk father 1952-1972 1972 began modernization
4) Jigme Singye Wangchuk father 1972-2006 abdicated
5) Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk father 2006- son of third wife

Styles

  • The King of Bhutan, the Gyalpo, has the style of His Majesty.
  • The wives of the king, the Gyalmo, have the style of Her Majesty.
  • The mother of the king, the Gyalyum, has the style of Her Majesty.
  • A son of the king, the Gyalsay Dasho, has the style of His Royal Highness.
  • A daughter of the king, the Ashi, has the style of Her Royal Highness.
  • Other male members of the Royal family have the style of Dasho, Lord.
  • Other female members of the Royal family have the style Ashi, Lady.

Toponymy

Variations of the Sanskrit words Bhota-ant (end of Bhot, an Indian name for Tibet) or Bhu-uttan (highlands) have been suggested by historians as origins of the name Bhutan, which came into common foreign use in the late nineteenth century and is used in Bhutan only in English-language official correspondence. The traditional name of the country since the seventeenth century has been Drukyul, country of the Drukpa, the Dragon people, or the Land of the Thunder Dragon, a reference to the country's dominant Buddhist sect.

Government

Kingdom of Bhutan, Constitution

Provinces

Province
dzongdey 		Capital Area Population Prefecture
dzongkhag 		Notes
Thimpu (T) Thimpu 8,345 km²
3,222 mi² 		279,000 Thimpu (Thimpu) (TT)
Paro (Paro) (TP)
Haa (Ha) (TH)
Samtse (Samtse) (TS)
Chhukha (Chhukha) (TC) 		Made capital in 1961.
Wangdi Phodrang (W) Wangdi 11,023 km²
4,256 mi² 		38,000 Wangdi (Wangdi) (WW)
Dagana (Daga) (WD)
Tsirang (Damphu) (WT)
Gasa (Gasa) (WG)
Punakha (Punakha) (WP)
Tongsa (G) Tongsa 8,499 km²
3,282 mi² 		88,000 Tongsa (Tongsa) (GT)
Bumthang (Jakar) (GB)
Sarpang (Geylegphug) (GS)
Zhemgang (Zhemgang) (GZ)
Mongar (M) Mongar 10,949 km²
4,227 mi² 		66,800 Lhuentse (Lhuntshi) (ML)
Trashiyangtse (Tashi Yangtse) (MY)
Mongar (Mongar) (MM)
Trashigang (Tashhigang) (MT)
Pemagalskel (Pemagalskel) (MP)
Sandrup Jongkhur (Sandrup Jongkhur) (MS)
Kameng (K) Bombila 13,728 km²
5,300 mi² 		169,000 E. Kameng (Seppa) (KE)
W. Kameng (Bombila) (KW)
Tawang (Tawang) (KT)
Pemako (P) Along 18,518 km²
7,150 mi² 		130,300 W. Siang (Along) (PW)
E. Siang (Pasiqhat) (PE)
Upper Siang (Yingkionk) (PU)
Subansiri (S) Daporijo 7,980 km²
3,081 mi² 		153,000 Upper Subansiri (Daparijo) (SU)
Lower Subansiri (Ziro) (SL)
Papum Pare (R) Itanagar 3,462 km²
1,337 mi² 		122,000 Papum Pare (Yupia) (RP)
Dibang (D) Anini 13,029 km²
5,031 mi² 		57,000 Lower Dibang (Anini) (DL)
Upper Dibang (Roing) (DU)

Thus, the total area of the rajadom is 95,533 km² (39,886 mi²), slightly larger than *here's* American state of Indiana.

Geography

  • Bhutan lies in the Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows, an area of 121,300 square kilometres (46,800 sq mi), extending along the north and south faces of the Himalaya Range from the Kali Gandaki Gorge in Lo eastwards through Tibet, Sikkim, Bhutan, and on into Bangal, and northernmost Myanmar.
  • The alpine shrub and meadows lie between approximately 4,000 and 5,500 metres (13,000 and 18,000 ft) elevation. Permanent ice and snow lie above 5,500 metres (18,000 ft). The Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests lie below 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) along the southern slopes of the range, from Lo to Bhutan.

Borders

Bhutan is bordered by on the:

North: Tibet
East: Burma
South: Burma, Bengal
West: Sikkim.

The Rajadom of Bhutan is contiguous to *here's* Kingdom of Bhutan and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh (location), minus the districts of Anjaw, Lohit, Changlang, and Tirap.

Climate

  • Bhutan's climate is as varied as its altitudes and is affected by monsoons. Western Bhutan is particularly affected by monsoons that bring between 60 and 90 percent of the region's rainfall. There are three broad climatic zones, subtropical in the south, temperate in the broad central regions and alpine in the north. The climate is humid and subtropical in the southern plains and foothills, temperate in the inner Himalayan valleys of the southern and central regions, and cold in the north, with year-round snow on the main Himalayan summits.
  • Temperatures vary according to elevation. Temperatures in Thimphu, located at 2,200 meters above sea level in west-central Bhutan, range from approximately 15° C to 26° C during the monsoon season of June through September but drop to between about -4° C and 16° C in January. Most of the central portion of the country experiences a cool, temperate climate year-round . In the south, a hot, humid climate helps maintain a fairly even temperature range of between 15° C and 30° C year-round, although temperatures sometimes reach 40° C in the valleys during the summer.
  • Annual precipitation ranges widely in various parts of the country. In the severe climate of the north, there is only about forty millimeters of annual precipitation, primarily snow. In the temperate central regions, a yearly average of around 1,000 millimeters is more common, and 7,800 millimeters per year has been registered at some locations in the humid, subtropical south, ensuring the thick tropical forest, or savanna. Thimphu experiences dry winter months (December through February) and almost no precipitation until March, when rainfall averages 20 millimeters a month and increases steadily thereafter to a high of 220 millimeters in August for a total annual rainfall of nearly 650 millimeters.
  • Bhutan's generally dry spring starts in early March and lasts until mid-April. Summer weather commences in mid-April with occasional showers and continues through the premonsoon rains of late June. The summer monsoon lasts from late June through late September with heavy rains from the southwest. The monsoon weather, blocked from its northward progress by the Himalayas, brings heavy rains, high humidity, flash floods and landslides, and numerous misty, overcast days. Autumn, from late September or early October to late November, follows the rainy season. It is characterized by bright, sunny days and some early snowfalls at higher elevations. From late November until March, winter sets in, with frost throughout much of the country and snowfall common above elevations of 3,000 meters. The winter northeast monsoon brings gale-force winds down through high mountain passes, giving Bhutan its name-- Drukyul, which in the Dzongkha language means Land of the Thunder Dragon.

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Religion

There is freedom of religion in the Kingdom of Bhutan, although proselytism by Western religions is not encouraged.

Buddhism

Organization
  • Mahayana Buddhism is the state religion of Bhutan, and Buddhists comprise 85% of the population. The majority of Bhutan's Buddhists are adherents of the Drukpa subsect of the Kargyu school, one of the five major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Although originating in Tibetan Buddhism, the Buddhism practiced in Bhutan differs significantly in its rituals, liturgy, and monastic organization. The state religion is supported financially by the government through annual subsidies to monasteries, shrines, monks, and nuns. There is a representative on the Royal Advisory Council (Lodyo Tshogdu).
  • There are about 1,000 monks (lam) who belong to the Central Monastic Body in Thimphu and Punakha. Another 4,000 belong to provincial monastic bodies. The monastic community is headed by the chief abbot, the je khenpo, who is assisted by five lopons or masters, each in charge of one aspect of the religion: tradition, liturgy, lexicography, logic and training. The lonpon have under them religious administrators and junior monastic officials in charge of art, music, and other areas. Drukpa monks need not be celibate for they also include householders, which allows them to marry, raise families, and work in secular occupations while performing liturgical functions in temples and homes. There are also 18 active congregations of nuns, with about 2,500 nuns. The nuns must remain celibate.
Monasteries
  • Monasteries and convents are common in Bhutan. Both monks and nuns keep their heads shaved and wear distinguishing maroon robes. Their days are spent in study and meditation but also in the performance of rituals honoring various bodhisattvas, praying for the dead, and seeking the intercession of bodhisattvas on behalf of the ill. Some of their prayers involve chants and singing accompanied by conch shell trumpets, trumpets made from human thighbones, metal horns up to three meters long, large standing drums and cymbals, hand bells, temple bells, gongs, and wooden sticks. Some of the monks are noted for their skill at throat-singing, a specialized form of chanting in which, by amplifying the voice's upper partials, the chanter can produce multiple distinct pitches simultaneously. Such monastic music and singing, not normally heard by the general public, has been reported to have "great virility" and to be more melodious than its Tibetan monotone counterparts. Common people do practice the religion in their own ways: day to day works, in their speech, in their thought and visiting the holy places and persons on holy dates. The holy dates are the 8th, 10th, 15th, 25th, 28th, and 30th day in a month in the Bhutanese calendar).
Buildings and objects
  • To bring Buddhism to the people, numerous symbols and structures are employed. Religious monuments, prayer walls, prayer flags, and sacred mantras carved in stone hillsides are prevalent. Among the religious monuments are chorten, the Bhutanese version of the Indian stupa. They range from simple rectangular "house" chorten to complex edifices with ornate steps, doors, domes, and spires. Some are decorated with the Buddha's eyes that see in all directions simultaneously. These earth, brick, or stone structures commemorate deceased kings, Buddhist saints, venerable monks, and other notables, and sometimes they serve as reliquaries. Prayer walls are made of laid or piled stone and inscribed with Tantric prayers. Prayers printed with woodblocks on cloth are made into tall, narrow, colorful prayer flags, which are then mounted on long poles and placed both at holy sites and at dangerous locations to ward off demons and to benefit the spirits of the dead. To help propagate the faith, itinerant monks travel from village to village carrying portable shrines with many small doors, which open to reveal statues and images of the Buddha, bodhisattavas, and notable lamas.

Bön

  • Before the introduction of Buddhism, the Bön religion was prevalent in Bhutan as it was in Tibet. Imported from Tibet and India, perhaps in the eighth century, Bön doctrine became so strongly reinvigorated by Buddhism that by the eleventh century it reasserted itself as an independent school apart from Buddhism, now practiced mainly in the Rajadom of Ladakh. Bön is no longer practiced in modern Bhutan.

Hinduism

  • About nine percent of the population are Hindus, mainly Shaivites. These people live mostly in the Terai. There is a Hindu temple in Thimphu.

Animism

  • The remaining six percent of Bhutanese practice one of the animistic religions of the indigenous peoples. Most of these live in the eastern part of the rajadom.

National symbols

  • National mammal: Mountain: takin (Budorcas taxicolor); Terai: Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)
  • National bird: raven (Corvus corax)
  • National reptile: Brook's house gecko (Hemidactylus brookii)
  • National fish: Himalayan trout (Barilius bendelisis)
  • National flower: blue poppy (Meconopsis grandis)
  • National tree: Himalayan cypress (Cupressus torulosa) (tseden)
  • National cuisine: zow shungo
  • National emblem: Per bend sinister yellow and maroon, a druk turquoise bendwise sinister.
    • For a crest, the raven crown.
    • For supporters, standing on a grassy compartment semy of blue poppies, on the dexter a takin and on the sinister an Indian rhinoceros proper rampant guardant, each charged on the shoulder with a Dharma wheel or.
    • All in front of a Himalayan cypress proper.
  • National anthem:
Druk tsendhen
Druk tsendhen koipi gyelkhap na
Loog ye ki tenpa chongwai gyon
Pel mewang ngadhak rinpo chhe
Ku jurmey tenching chhap tsid pel
Chho sangye ten pa goong dho gyel
Bang che kyed nyima shar warr sho.
In the Thunder Dragon Kingdom
In the Thunder Dragon Kingdom, where cypresses grow,
Refuge of the glorious monastic and civil traditions,
The King of Druk, precious soverign,
His being is eternal, his reign prosperous.
The enlightenment teachings thrive and flourish.
May the people shine like the sun of peace and happiness.
  • National dress:
    • for men: gho with kabney for formal occasions
    • for women: kira with tego and rachu
  • National sport: archery
  • National dance: chham (sacred mask dances)
  • National instrument: dramyin
  • National colors: yellow and maroon

Bhutanese public holidays

Dates in italics are postponed.

Date Name Notes
14 February Losar New Year (2010 only)
21 February The King's Birthday
28 February Chotrul Düchen Butter Lamp Festival (2010 only)
21 April The King's Birthday Father's Day
27 May Suga Dawa Düchen The Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment, and Parinirvana (2010 only)
21 June Guru Rinpoche's Birthday
21 June The Queen Mother's Birthday
15 July Chokhor Duchen The Buddha's First Sermon (2010 only)
21 July The Queen Mother's Birthday Mother's Day
24 August Ulambana Ancestor Day (2010 only)
23 September Thri-bab Blessed Rainy Day (2010 only)
17 October Dashain Victory of the Goddess Durga (2010 only)
29 October Lhabab Düchen The Buddha's Descent to Earth (2010 only))
6 November The King's Coronation
17 December King Ugyen's coronation Independence Day

Infrastructure

Education

Flora and fauna

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