LAND AND ITS PEOPLE
Bhutan
Silence echoes...
The tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan remained far from the tinsel of
self-promotion, but kept on progressing on its own strength unfazed by the
public perception that grew in India against it over various militant groups
from the Northeast using its jungles. Madhuparna Bhattacharjee unveils
the tiny Kingdom that has got a lot to offer to those who love the nature.
W
ay back in the year 2003, ‘Operation All
Prayer flags Clear took place.’ Being a journalist, I had
the chance of going to Sondrup Jonkhar,
a Bhutanese area neighbouring Assam to
cover it. On being there for a few days, I realized that Bhu-
tan has a lot more to offer to the people of India, apart from
the most commonly discussed militancy and insurgency. I
felt that I must visit the country, trek the Druk Path, explore
and experience the tiny jewel, mystical culture of Bhutan.
Hidden deep in the folds of the great Himalayas for centu-
ries, this country developed its own civilization.
Prayer flags stand high in almost all locations, giv-
ing the feeling that invocations are heard best by the gods
and goddesses of the mighty Himalayas. I never knew the
meaning of the word Bhutan until I actually visited the
place. It is believed that the term has been derived from
‘Bhot,’ which is the name given by the Tibetans to their
own country and ‘Tan,’ which I think is again a modifica-
tion of the word ‘Stan’ meaning Land. Interestingly, the
Bhutanese prefer to call their beloved country ‘Druk Yul,’
meaning ‘The Land of the Dragon.’ However, due to the
harmonious nature of the people, it has acquired an ad-
ditional nickname, Deki Druk Yul, which is supposed to
mean The Land of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon.
Imagine a country being given a nickname due to the
nature of its citizens. Very appealing, I feel. Aren’t you
now in the mood to know more about these people and
their land, their undiluted cultures and unspoiled natural
wonders? Bhutan’s past is still its present.
Our journey was tiring as we chose to travel by road.
Being a team of seven journalists, all adventurous by nature
and more due to the demand of the profession, our choice
was the strenuous drive instead of the more comfortable
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BHUTAN
by-air travel.
Unbelievably, the tiredness all
seemed to have vanished on setting foot
in Bhutan. We were in Thimphu, the
country’s capital city. There were prayer
flags fluttering in whichever direction
we turned. The sound of silence kept
echoing and haunting us. A few Bhuta-
nese men in their traditional attire were
on their way to some place. They smiled
at us; their eyes radiated warmth and af-
fection. We asked them the direction to
the hotel that we had booked. Speaking
softly they showed us which route to fol-
low.
We had made a small list of the
places we must see. Besides Thimphu,
our next on the list was Punaka, the old
capital of Bhutan. We started early next
morning. After a three hour drive to-
wards the east of Thimphu, we reached
our destination. The place is indeed a
superb example of Bhutanese architec-
ture. On the bank of the river Punaka,
majestically stands the Punaka Dzong, a
view hard to forget. Our intention was
to visit both the old and the new capital
of the country. So, we did not stay long
in Punaka.
On our way back to Thimphu, we
stopped at a road side inn for lunch. Un-
able to bear the hunger, we first ordered
for seven bowls of meat stew. As luck
could have it, there was nothing much
that they could offer for a heavy meals,
other than rice, at that moment. But,
as we were ravenous, we asked them
to bring for us whatever they thought
would be filling. After a wait of almost
25 minutes, a stout man brought a tray
full of dried vegetables spiced with chil-
lies and cheese and steaming rice. At
that moment it felt like heaven to have
Prayer Wheels
some food in front of us, whatever be it.
However, the preparation was not bad. We all ate like glut-
tons. Huh... What a relief!
Someone had told us that Ema Datshi, made very spicy
with cheese and chillies, might be called the national dish
for its popularity, and more importantly, the pride that the
Bhutanese have for it. We planned to ask the local people
in Thimphu, as to which restaurant we should go in order
to taste the dish.
On reaching Thimphu in the evening, we went straight
to our hotel, called up room service and requested for but-
ter tea. As we were from a different country, the manager
of the hotel sent complimentary cheese, made from Yak
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