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 Bhutan covers an area of 38,394 square
kilometers with a population of 6,72,425.
Bhutan is hidden deep in the folds of the
great Himalaya mountains for years, Bhutan
developed its own civilization where the
people live in close harmony with nature,
evolved a unique identity, derived largely
from a rich religious and cultural heritage.
Today the world is seeing many exotic
aspects of this Kingdom.
Bhutan is becoming increasingly known for
its pure practice of Mahayana Buddhism in
the Tantric form, its untouchable culture,
its pristine ecology and wildlife and the
unparalleled scenic beauty of its majestic
peaks and lush valleys and its governing
policy of Gross National Happiness (GNH). It
is still, in many ways, a magical kingdom of
the past.
It is also a matter of great pride to the
Bhutanese that their small kingdom was never
colonized. Its ancient history, which is a
mixture of the oral tradition and classical
literature, tells of a largely
self-sufficient population which had limited
contact with the outside world until the
turn of the century.
Bhutan has evolved from a feudal society
that was sparsely scattered over the rugged
mountain terrain into a modern bureaucracy
trying to resist being completely
overwhelmed by the forces of globalization.
Until the turn of the 20th century the
leadership of the country was mostly
mythological figures. The eight century
saint, Guru Rinpoche introduced the Buddhist
culture that still binds society today and
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel established the
notion of nationhood in the 17th century.
The establishment of hereditary monarchy in
1907 established Bhutanese history as it is
best known.
SPIRITUAL NATION
 Just as the kingdom’s history is
characterized by the religious landmarks,
the influence of religion is highly visible
in everyday life of the lay population.
Bhutan is a spiritual nation. Hundreds of
scared monasteries, stupas, religious
institution, prayer flags and prayer wheels
which dot the countryside provide a strong
infrastructure and atmosphere for the
teachings of their living faith.
Both Urban and rural Bhutan, religious
ceremonies and rituals are performed
regularly and with reverence. On auspicious
days Bhutanese families make pilgrimages to
monasteries to offer prayers and butter
lamps. The horoscope of Bhutanese life is
drawn from the scriptures. National and
regional festivities, coinciding with the
seasons are major events for the entire
population the year round. The Buddhist
world thus regards the Kingdom with special
importance as the last bastion of the
Mahayana Buddhism. Earlier this century an
ethic Nepalese minority settled in the
southern regions of the country brought
Hinduism which is regarded in Bhutan as
being closely related to Buddhism.
RICH CULTURE
Bhutanese language and literature, the areas
and crafts, ceremonies and events, and basic
social and cultural values draw their
essence from religious teachings. The
tradition of fine art is alive today,
manifested for example in products like the
legendary thankas (big banners). The
exquisite traditional painting is also
visible on monasteries and houses,
skillfully enhancing the architecture.
 Architecture is also a significant feature
of the Bhutanese identity. The combination
of engineering skill and aesthetic beauty is
unparalleled in all structures, from the
massive monastic fortresses to houses and
bridges. Traditional shapes, colors and
patterns on the walls, doors, windows, pave
Bhutanese architecture in a class of its
own. Music, dance and handicrafts both by
the clergy and the lay population play an
important role in national, village or
domestic functions and festivals.
TEXTILES
Bhutan’s textile tradition has in recent
years gone international. The distinct
technique color and style of indigenous
Bhutanese weaving is being increasingly
appreciated by the textile specialists,
collectors and users.
Men wear a knee length dress with long
stockings called gho and Women wear a
floor-length dress called the kira.
LANGUAGE
The national language of Bhutan is Dzongkha.
The people also speak more than 18 dialects
across the country. Today English is taught
in the schools and is used as the official
working language, but the national leaders
emphasizes the development and use of
Dzongkha.
PEOPLE
 Bhutan’s population is, in many ways, one
large family. More than 90 percent of the
people live on subsistence farming,
scattered in sparsely populated villages
across the rugged terrain of the Himalayas.
With rice as the staple diet in the lower
regions and wheat, buckwheat and maize in
the other valleys, the people farm narrow
terraces cut into the steep hill slopes.
Bhutanese communities settled in the valleys
with limited communication in the past. It
is for this reason that the sense of
individuality and independence emerges as a
strong characteristic of the people.
It is for the same reason that despite the
small population, it has developed a number
of languages and dialects. The Bhutanese
are, by nature, physically strong and
fiercely independent with an open and ready
sense of humor. Hospitality is an in-built
social value in Bhutan.
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