Guru Thongdrel

March 31, 2010Posted inCulture
The Paro Tsechu ended yesterday, with the unfurling of the Guru Thongdrel. His Majesty the King graced the final day of the popular festival, as thousands of people braved the cold and rain to receive the sacred thongdrel’s blessings. Dasho Sangay Dorji, a leading dzongkha language expert, says that the gigantic tapestry was commissioned by the second Paro Penlop, Ngawang Choeda, and constructed by Lam Ngawang Rabgay more than 350 years ago. Parops love to tell stories about their thongdrel. According to one, Lam Ngawang Rabgay sent a trader to Tibet to barter rice for brocade. But the trader…

Spring art exhibition

March 21, 2010Posted inCulture
“Everything in life is watched and seen beyond the strength of the naked eye,” says Passang Tobgay describing his painting “Under the Watchful Eye”. Passang, who graduated in traditional painting from the Institute for Zorig Chusum, is a member of VAST. He taught traditional painting before exploring modern art to communicate his ideas and emotions. “Under the Watchful Eye” is currently on display at VAST’s Spring Art Exhibition. The exhibition, which is at the Tarayana Centre, runs through April.

Happy holiday

December 31, 2009Posted inCulture
Today, finally, after two years, it snowed in Thimphu. So, we got to enjoy a unique tradition: we did not attend office. Nobody seems to know when it started or how it started, but tradition dictates that Thimphu residents – especially public servants – avoid going to office on the day the city receives its first snowfall of the season. And like most officer-goers in Thimphu, I take this tradition very seriously.

Nomads

December 29, 2009Posted inCulture, Government
The Nomad’s festival that was recently organized by the Ministry of Agriculture was a good idea. The event, which was meant to show off our nomadic culture, heritage and traditions, also sought to help our nomads sell their produce while, at the same time, promoting “off season” tourism. But, the choice of the location is questionable. Transporting 90 nomadic groups from eight dzongkhags to Bumthang was not a good idea. Tourists perceive Bumthang to be too cold at this time of the year. And, Bumthang does not have a large enough local population to interact with the nomads and…

Grinding flour

October 4, 2009Posted inCulture
Most people guessed that the last Big Picture was a water driven prayer wheel. It did sound like it. But, actually it was a traditional water driven flour mill. Two people answered correctly: Jabab Phub Dorji and Linda Wangmo. Jabab Phub Dorji, who got the answer first, said, “it’s a sound of a water mill”. Later, however, the Jabab wondered if it was the “sound of a bird at the river side”. Still, I’m giving the prize to Jabab Phub Dorji for being the first to answer correctly. The video was shot in Nagu, near Jabana, Paro. So, perhaps…

To lyonpo or not

September 10, 2009Posted inCulture
Almost six months ago, in March, Ngawang left an unrelated comment on “PDP general convention” asking me if the opposition leader should be called a lyonpo. More recently, another reader – I can’t seem to locate the comment – also asked me the same question. Here’s my answer: it depends. If the title lyonpo refers to the rank of the orange kabney awarded by His Majesty the King, it’s all right to call the opposition leader lyonpo. But if the title lyonpo refers to the position of a cabinet minister, the head of a ministry, then it’s not correct…

Semtokha Dzong

September 8, 2009Posted inCulture
The last “Big picture” was of the Semtokha Dzong. Yeshey Dorji, who constributed the picture, has asked me to announce that Kintoen was the first to answer correctly. Kintoen: please contact me by email to collect your prize, lunch at the Musk. The photograph and prize are sponsored by Yeshey Dorji. My favourite feature of the Semtokha Dzong is the roof. The main structure has a gradually sloping roof that is unique in its simplicity. But in 2003, the old roof was replaced in favour of a jamtho and serto, the elaborate golden pinnacle that adorns all the other…

Ridiculous fun!

September 4, 2009Posted inCulture
Our Yangphel Archery season came to a sudden end this afternoon. Team ZIMDRA played TANDIN’S POP n ALL and GADEN PHUNSUM in the last of eight quarterfinal matches. All three teams had decided that they must win to proceed to the semifinals – it would be too difficult to outdo NAMSEYCHOILNG R’s 43 kareys for the only wild card spot. With each of the three teams winning a set each by the 12th round, the three-way contest had become interesting. And, most of the spectators predicted that the winner would be decided by a penalty shootout at the end…

Language, culture and identity

August 24, 2009Posted inCulture, People
On 24 June 2009, H.E Pavan K. Verma, India’s ambassador to Bhutan, talked about Culture, Identity and Globalization. The talk, which was organized by the Centre for Bhutan Studies, was attended by wide cross section of people, from scholars, teachers and civil servants to consultants, businesswomen and politicians. Ambassador Verma, an accomplished scholar and writer, warned his audience that, due to the unprecedented reach of globalization, change in Bhutan is inevitable. And that unless we have an intimate knowledge of our own culture – a knowledge that can only come from deep introspection – we will not be able…

Targeting the rain

August 21, 2009Posted inCulture, Economy
Yangphel Archery’s second knockout round began today. The 14 winning teams and 10 “joker” teams from this round will make it to the quarter finals. And the 8 winners plus one joker from the quarterfinals will play the semifinals. The tournament began on 4th July. And during the last seven weeks 182 matches were played. But, guess what, not a single match was postponed. The weather has held up remarkably well. For the archers, that is; not our farmers who, at this time of the year, need rain. So today, when I congratulated Tshewang Rinchen, the tournament’s secretary general,…

The Musk

August 6, 2009Posted inCulture7 Comments
About a hundred years ago, a Haap left Bhutan for Kalimpong. He didn’t return home, choosing, instead, to settle down, with other Bhutanese, in Dolopchen, a small hamlet near Pedong. Several generations later, his great granddaughter, Deki Lhamu, is back in Bhutan. And, together with her husband, Jigme Norbu, she owns and runs Musk, a restaurant in the clock tower square. Musk (formed by reversing the last four letters of CHOKSUM, their daughter’s name) specializes in Kalimpong food – a delightful blend of Bhutanese, Sikkimese, Tibetan and Nepali cuisines. I enjoy their menu. So, I go there often. If…

Yangphel’s record

July 12, 2009Posted inCulture
Yesterday, Tob Dhen Dhey accomplished what many archers considered the impossible: they shattered the 60-karey barrier by hitting 61 kareys in 15 rounds. That’s an average of 12.2 kareys per person. That’s an average of 4.07 team kareys per round. That’s impossible to beat. Yangphel has already entered Tob Dhen Dhey’s 61 kareys in their record books. Obviously all the Tob Dhen Dhey archers performed well. In fact, no one hit less than 10 kareys! And Ata Sonam hit 17 kareys in 15 rounds. That’s one short of the record held by Forest Namgay, Gem Tshering and Karma Tenzin.…

Yangphel’s gift

July 11, 2009Posted inCulture
A record 154 teams are participating in the 13th Yangphel Archery Tournament that began last Saturday. During the “league phase” of the tournament, each team will play three matches. And three teams compete against each other in match. So the stadium in Changlimithang will see a total of 154 league matches over six weeks. This year, for the first time since Yangphel started its tournament 13 years ago, the teams that qualify for the “knockout phase” will need to win two matches in order to get to the quarterfinal stage. Till last year, one win in the knockout phase…

Archery stars

June 15, 2009Posted inCulture
This week's featured photo is again about archery. The finals of the Silver Jubilee Coronation Tournament, which was, till 1998, called the Coronation Cup, concluded yesterday. As predicated, Team Phojas won the coveted trophy. But Team MPAB put up a good fight. They won the second game. And matched the Team Phojas karey for karey in the third game, which was far more interesting and competitive that what the final score showed (25-8). In a dramatic finish, Lop Kinley Tshering, MPAB's anchor, hit the target with his second arrow and cut Team Phojas' choenda, which had been planted by…