Culture
Buddhism is part of the culture It is the only
country with state religion National religion
is tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism. People
speak Dzongkha, Nepali and English. They are
delightful, Bhutanese are also known as Drukpas.
It has magnificent architectures, and above
all the religion is mythical and intriguing.
For the occasional visitor, Bhutan is really
Shangri-la, a mythical country hidden deep in
the mountains..Almost 90% of the population
are engaged in agriculture and raising livestock,
Tantric Buddhism as established by Padmasambhava,
popularly known as Guru Rimpoche, took its root
firmly in Bhutan when Buddhism in Tibet was
undergoing deep turmoil. It is believed that
Sikkim and Bhutan was chosen to preserve the
Buddhist text as practice in Tibet.
Festivals
At various times of the year, the annual festivals
known as Tshechus take place in different locations.
Two of the most popular are held at Paro in
spring, and Thimphu in autumn, but there are
many others at temples, dzongs, and monasteries
throughout Bhutan. Dancers in brilliant silk
costumes re-enact legendary events, accompanied
by blaring horns, booming drums and clashing
cymbals as they whirl and leap against a backdrop
o sky and mountains. Certain dances require
the participant to wear heavy masks, representing
human forms, manifestations of Guru Rinpoche,
animal skulls or fearsome deities. There are
three different types of religious dances: instructive
dances, which tell a moral tale, dances that
proclaim the victory of Buddhism and the glory
of Guru Rinpoche.
The Tshechus are celebrated for three to five
days, with both monks and laymen taking part
in dances, which tend to be performed in a similar
programme at each of the Tshechus. Amongst the
dancers at all the festivals are the so-called
atsaras, or clowns, whose expressive masks and
postures provide a welcome counterpoint to the
formalised religious dances.
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