Behind the scenes at the Tsechu

This weekend, we got a chance to look behind the scenes of a Tsechu.
This three-day religious festival includes masked dances performed by Buddhist monks.
It’s held once a year in each disctrict or dzongkhag in Bhutan.
For the Bhutanese, the Tsechu is the highlight of the year. Some of them walk for days from their remote Himalayan [...]

Buddhist worshippers don’t have to fend off tourists

In Bhutan’s capital Thimphu, the locals have the holy sites almost to themselves.
What you see at the city’s National Memorial Chorten, for instance, is devout Buddhists going round and round the holy stupa, but hardly any tourists.
It’s the beginning of the tourist season in Bhutan, but so far the number of foreigners visiting this remote [...]

Don’t panic in Paro

Paro Airport in the Himalayan country of Bhutan is “one of the world’s most challenging airports” according to Boeing.
And if it’s challenging for the pilots, it’s anything from an adventure to a nightmare for the passengers.
Only one airline flies into Paro: Bhutan’s national carrier DRUK AIR. In their in-flight magazine, they write that they’ve offered [...]

Never on a Sunday

When visitors first arrive in Bhutan, they are usually fascinated to see that almost everyone here wears the national dress.
The impression you get is that of an exceptional place, rich in tradition and unified through a particular kind of clothing not worn anywhere else in the world.
But there are two sides to the coin.
The Bhutanese [...]

Of monks and masks

Witnessing a tsechu in Bhutan is an experience that is hard to describe and impossible to forget.
A tsechu is a three or four day religious festival and the highlight of the Buddhist year. It consists mainly of sacred dances, performed by monks in fantastic costumes and masks.

For non-Buddhists, the stories told in the dances and [...]

Window shopping

Many shops in Bhutan aren’t actually stores you can go into.
They are basically just store windows.
You do your shopping from the outside and tell the shopkeeper inside what you want.
And to make things easier for children or smaller Bhutanese, there is usually a little stepladder in front of the shop window
You’ll often also [...]

Miss Bhutan 2008

The Miss Bhutan 2008 Beauty Pageant this weekend was the first beauty pageant I’ve attended. And it was probably the last.
The evening didn’t get off to a good start, so maybe that’s partly to blame for my dissatisfaction with the whole event.
The contest was due to begin at six p.m. But as we entered the [...]

When will the officer turn green?

Thimphu is the world’s only capital city without a single stop light.
Downtown traffic in Thimphu usually isn’t too bad. But in recent years, the number of new cars has increased. So you’re liable to see a rush-hour traffic jam even here.
Nevertheless, the 70 000 citizens of this Himalayan capital don’t want any traffic lights on [...]

Where monks go shopping

This week, you can see even more Buddhist monks on the streets of Thimphu than usual. The city is bathed in the saffron red color of their robes.
The Buddhist monks and nuns have come to town for the Tshechu, a four-day religious festival. It’s the highlight of the social year and always takes place [...]

The Divine Madman’s phallus

WARNING: If you feel offended by the folkloristic depiction of male genitalia, do not continue reading this article and do not look at the pictures.

Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the significance of the phallus in Bhutanese folklore and legend.
Among the many weird and wonderful [...]