Losar is a time for fun, family, and feasting in Bhutan. Unlike the West, where people may stay up all night to party, the start of the lunar year in Bhutan is a mostly daytime affair. People wake early in the morning to bathe and put on fresh new clothes they’ve put away during the past year in carefully locked boxes, trunks, and closets for just such a special occasion. The first meal of the day is usually thuep, thick rice congee with spicy mala seasoning flavored by bone marrow, soft cubes of cottage cheese, and tender, well-cooked chunks of meat, usually pork or beef. It’s a dense umami concoction that’s at once savory, tingly, and filling, a great way to start this celebratory day. In some families, the day also begins with thrue, a purifying bath or shower to rinse off the negative karma of the previous year, followed by thuen or moenlam, a short prayer or dedication to welcome a prosperous new year. Daytime festivities include da-tsey or archery, the national sport, played mostly by men, and khuru or throwing darts that are enjoyed by monks (there being no injunctions against games of marksmanship in the Buddhist clergy) as well as by lay people. If, in other parts of the world, New Year parties are a time to go out, in Bhutan, the holiday is more akin to an American Thanksgiving. It’s a time when families gather and stay home to eat delicious and endless quantities of food throughout the day. Lunch usually arrives with a great deal of fanfare, featuring the season's best cereals, depending on the elevation—rice, wheat, roasted barley, dough, or buckwheat. Yak, beef, pork or chicken, and sometimes fish are served in prosperous homes. In the more religiously observant homes, a gathering of monks will usually perform ceremonies for barchey lamdoey, “which may loosely be translated as “prayers for the purification of diseases, obstacles, and misfortunes.” In such homes, the esteemed monks are invited to take frequent breaks during the day to join the family in the feasting. Renewed by such delicious food and drink, the monks will often be seen to resume their chanting, the blowing of ceremonial horns and reed pipes, and the beating of their drums and cymbals with renewed vigor and energy. Afternoon tea, with Indian-style sweet milk tea as well as salty Himalayan butter tea or suja—which is more like a broth—arrives with khabzoey, or crispy, mildly sweet deep-fried dough cakes. Dinner is usually preceded by ara, home-brewed traditional rice wine, or singchang, fermented barley beer. By this time everyone will have grown considerably rosier in the cheeks and louder and much more convivial in their mannerisms, and a good old game of playing cards, or sho (a Himalayan game similar to mahjong played with dice) may well ensue. Even the monks, if they're still around and well-known to the family, may join the general rounds of speculation over the most strategic placements of the (sho) pieces in the game! More food is served at dinner—red rice, bright red chilies, and a variety of spicy stews including the national chili-cheese dish ema datsi, and long strips of shakam or dried beef, yak or pork—until everyone is stuffed. Copious amounts of drinking follows. The mostly home-brewed alcohol, imbibed by one and all finally brings the festivities to a close with the flushed red-cheeked faces of everyone giving evidence to their glistening hopes for a happy and healthy year! In the Lunar Calendar of the Himalayas, which largely corresponds with the Chinese one with some differences, 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon. According to traditional astrology, the foundational characteristics of the Wood Dragon Year are prosperity, daring, energy, and opportunity. Some people believe that Losar celebrations predated Buddhism in the Himalayas. The traditional practice of burning incense and juniper as a New Year's offering to the spirits and protective deities is believed to be an artifact of the animistic Bon practices that existed before the arrival of Buddhism. In Tibet, the celebrations are sometimes called Boed Gyalpoi Losar, which means “the Tibetan New Year of the King.” This is a reference to the belief that Losar was first celebrated following the coronation of Tibet's first king. In another story, Losar was first celebrated after a woman named Boed Ma (Tibetan Mother) invented the Himalayan lunar calendar. In some parts of the Himalayas, it was also believed to have been celebrated as an autumn festival at the time of "the flowering of the apricot trees." May the the dynamic dragon bring a happy and prosperous 2024 to everyone! As we say in the Himalayas at the start of each promising new year, Tashi Delek! May good fortune shine on all your endeavors! Like this article? Get similar features & travel information sent straight to your inbox with the Bhutan Himalaya Newsletter

Posted 08/14/2021 KARMA DORJI, Bhutan Himalaya Expeditions In a breathtakingly rapid response to the Covid 19 pandemic, the kingdom's health services covered nearly the entire eligible adult population with the first two doses of the vaccine, drawing widespread international media attention and earning its young health minister an executive chair at the World Health Assembly. Here’s the inside scoop of how that happened. The chief Buddhist abbot of Bhutan, His Holiness Je Khenpo, blessing Covid-19 vaccines in the kingdom’s eastern Lhuentse province. Photo: Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan By July 2021, 90 percent of Bhutan's eligible population was vaccinated with only 21 reported deaths from the pandemic. Faith in the young king’s leadership, the government's belief in science, and the support of the revered Buddhist clergy all played critical roles in the success of Bhutan’s Covid-19 vaccination drive. In a little over 16 days the kingdom’s first nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign launched March 27, 2021, covered an astounding 475,651 people, which may not sound like much until you consider that the number is more than an estimated 93 percent of everyone eligible to receive the vaccine in the country (figure last updated April 12, 2021). To boost coverage, the nation’s beloved young king, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, vowed to take the vaccine only after it was offered to every eligible Bhutanese citizen, spurring citizens to get their shot as quickly as possible. The landlocked Himalayan nation of approximately 800,000 people first acquired the early shipments of the UK-and-Sweden-based AstraZeneca vaccine, produced in India under the name Covishield, in January. But they were put on ice, literally, because February was deemed an inauspicious ‘Black Month’ according to the astrological calculations of the kingdom’s revered Buddhist clergy, the Dratshang Lhentshog. Bhutanese people routinely consult such astrological charts, released annually by the national religious body, for matters personal and official. Those recommendations can range from favorable dates to convene the National Assembly to opening times for government building projects, wedding and engagement planning, setting travel dates, and choosing the proper days to raise religious prayer flags to boost one’s karma and spiritual merit. Once those favorable dates are set, matters usually proceed at a fast clip, buoyed by the religious blessings and seemingly propitious celestial alignments. Monks and medical professionals gather for a ceremony to consecrate Covid-19 vaccines surrounded by portraits of Bhutan’s kings past and present. Photo: Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan. Bhutan first received the Covishield vaccines from the Indian government through a vaccine-diplomacy program called Vaccine Maitri (Vaccine Friendship). In the run-up to the nationwide vaccination program, the young king—who was the rallying face of Bhutan’s fight against the pandemic—made acquiring COVID 19 vaccines a top national priority. Other members of the well-loved royal family; religious figures such as His Holiness the Je Khenpo, the kingdom’s chief Buddhist abbot; Bhutan’s democratically-elected prime minister; the health minister; prominent citizens; and young social media influencers all threw their collective weight behind the vaccination program. Such endorsements assuaged fears, quelled rumors, fake news and conspiracy theories seeping in through the internet. The Prime Minister, a practicing medical surgeon, and the Health Minister, a brilliant young graduate of the Yale School of Public Health, immediately took to national television. They outlined the vaccination program, the process, timing and locations of the vaccination rollout, what to expect before and after the first shot. The government flew shipments of the vaccine to remote valleys across the kingdom’s challenging mountainous terrain on domestic flights and emergency service helicopters. Above: Covid-19 vaccines are loaded on an emergency recue helicopter to be flown over the country’s remote mountainous terrain, in preparation for the nationwide campaign to inoculate everyone over 18 years old. Photo: Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan On March 24, as the final consignment of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the far-flung eastern Lhuentse province, completing distribution to all 20 districts of the country, the chief abbot, Je Khenpo, arrived with his entourage of monks and religious elders. They performed televised purification and consecration rites over the vaccines, setting devout Buddhist minds at rest about the efficacy of the vaccines. On the morning of March 27, vaccinations opened across the country with the first jabs given, where possible, to 30-year-old women born under auspicious astrological signs in the Monkey Year, prescribed by the Buddhist clergy. In Thimphu, the nation’s capital, vaccinations began at the religiously predetermined stroke of half-past nine in the morning, western time, chosen from the state astrological charts. Ninda Dema, a 30-year-old intellectual property rights inspector for the government, had the right star alignments to receive the first jab. A nurse, another 30-year-old woman, born in the same year and under similarly opportune conditions, vaccinated her, kickstarting the kingdom’s ambitious campaign to provide the vaccine to all ages recommended to receive the vaccine under international guidelines. Ninda Dema—the 30-year-old chosen in accordance with the Bhutanese state clergy’s astrological recommendations to receive the first jab of the vaccine—dedicates her Medicine Buddha prayer for universal healing under a smiling portrait of Bhutan’s young king, surrounded by dignitaries. Photo: Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan As the symbolic 30-year-old chosen to receive the first Covid-19 vaccine shot in the country, Ninda prepared herself a day earlier by praying at two famous Buddhist temples in the capital. Her mother, who lives in the neighboring province of Paro, visited and prayed at eight temples on Ninda’s behalf. Shortly before 9:30 am on March 27, the young woman sat on a chair, surrounded by government ministers and dignitaries (including the Indian Ambassador to Bhutan), and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and recited the Medicine Buddha mantra as she received her shot. Tayatha Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Randza Samu Gate Soha. “May all sentient beings who are unwell be liberated from sickness and pain,” she prayed, “and may all forms of illness and suffering disappear, never to return again.” By contrast, an article in the New York Times on April 5, 2021, quoted the leader of a US-based nondenominational Christian ministry who said, “The vaccine is not the savior.” He told the Times that he had received a divine message that God was the ultimate healer and deliverer. According to data from the Pew Research Center used in that Times article, 45 percent of White Evangelical Christians said they would not get vaccinated against COVID-19. Bhutan’s example should—but likely won’t—be held up in the US as proof that faith and science can coexist for the greater good. Isn’t that, after all, the highest purpose of both Science and Religion? 101-year-old Phurba Deki, receiving her Covid-19 Vaccine in Bhutan's southcentral region of Dagana. To learn more about the future of Bhutan's pandemic response, watch "Prepping for the Next Pandemic," an interview with the Bhutanese Health Minister at the Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Author of Dreaming of Prayer Flags: Stories & Images from Bhutan, Karma Singye Dorji is a writer and former journalist who has led and curated cultural treks and journeys to Bhutan since 1999. SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

Hint: They're not the ones listed by Lonely Planet when they voted Bhutan their #1 travel destination for the coming year. When one of the world’s largest guidebook publishers named Bhutan their top travel choice for 2020, it caused a stir among the more experienced Bhutan travel guides (we've been leading our journeys in Bhutan since 1999). On closer reading of the announcement, however, we saw the reasons they gave were the familiar ones we've heard before: the beautiful landscape, the balance of old and new, the fact that Bhutan is carbon-negative. So here, in no particular order, is our own insider's list of why we think it's always a good time to visit Bhutan, whether in 2020 or beyond. 1. An opportunity to discover unique foods and flavors Magical matsutake or mystical cordyceps anyone? The highly prized mushroom which grows in Bhutan during a tiny window of the year and the near-miraculous (so it is said) health-bestowing high-altitude plant that’s harvested only after it fuses with the remnants of a caterpillar are merely two of the more exotic items you can try on a Bhutanese menu! The first is usually eaten in traditional stews while cordyceps is consumed dried and whole or imbibed after being steeped in teas and alcoholic brews. Bhutanese food wasn't notable for a long time after the kingdom first opened its doors to visitors, mainly because we tried to mimic what we thought was "continental" cuisine borrowed from India, but today a convergence of local organic produce and the revival of interest in the diverse food traditions of the kingdom is fueling a culinary renaissance that is catching fire. In fact, the late well-known host of the wildly popular travel and food show Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain, visited Bhutan for just that reason (and filmed an episode in the kingdom that later aired after his sad demise). Based on “the primary ‘nine grains’ of Bhutan,” Bhutanese food includes many unique flavors and ingredients such as wild foraged bitter cane (with reportedly blood-purifying properties) as well as a range of fermented and preserved foods believed to have powerful “good-for-the-gut” (no pun intended) properties. 2. The people are nice. Like, really nice... The good people of Bhutan are kind and honest to a fault. You may not realize how exhausting it is to live in societies where everything is a transaction until you arrive in Bhutan. Once you relax and begin trusting your local Bhutanese hosts (which is not difficult; in fact we guarantee it), it allows the natural good humor of the people, their decency, and their honesty to rise to the fore. Here, you can appreciate just how truly amazing it is to have people approach you without motives other than to share an experience of genuine human curiosity or serendipity. With one of the lowest crime rates in the world, honesty is, in fact, a national attribute. Lost ATM cards in the kingdom are commonly found carefully taped to the walls next to ATM machines with helpful handwritten notes and reminders to their owners. 3.No advertisement billboards, Starbucks or McDonald's There are no giant billboards pushing the consumer lifestyle here. The only large signs you will see are the ones announcing important public health messages and those celebrating the cutest first family in the world: the handsome thirty-something king; the winsome, and even younger, queen; and their adorable, dimple-cheeked, three-year-old son, the Gyalsay (Crown Prince), who has already won hearts and minds across the kingdom and beyond. Not here the ubiquitous Starbucks, the omnipresent Golden Arches or the scarlet Pizza Huts you will see in other neighboring countries, and it will probably remain so, by royal decree. 4. Local inns and lodges with traditional character In the same way that we—speaking as Bhutanese people—believe this world offers the perfect balance of suffering and joy optimal for the motivation to seek enlightenment, Bhutan offers the right balance of adventure and comfort for rejuvenating the spirit. Each local lodge, inn or hotel, while not necessarily updated to the latest modern standards, offers its own unique blend of traditional culture and convenience. Worried about central heating? Check out the kingdom’s spin on an iron wood stove, or bukhari, which lends rustic charm to any hotel interior while giving you the benefits of warming your feet. Even though a small handful of hotels in the country are now being built with outside investment, most accommodations in the country are still local affairs, which means there’s none of the sameness here of international chains that often flatten your travel experiences no matter where you are in the world. Thus, the rugged Himalayan landscape offers ample opportunities for staying active outdoors while the cozy accommodations offer the likelihood you'll strike up a friendship with the Bhutanese owners of the establishment. 5. Here you can truly get away from it all! In Bhutan, you probably have the best chance anywhere of truly getting away from it all! Remote valleys with a pristine environment (and great weather in the spring and the fall) means that you can go deep into the country if you choose. Once you leave the hustle and bustle of the capital and the three or four major towns, the true heart of Bhutan begins to reveal itself. You can still find many places in Bhutan where there are no landlines, no television sets or radios, or even newspapers. But if you truly seek escape from the world, you’ll have to take the ultimate plunge: unplug your cellphone. Because the local network coverage is excellent, you’ll likely pick up a connection in most places in the country, even the more remote valleys. 6. Bhutan invites you to explore the deeper meaning of our lives From taking a longer and more cosmic view of things to a deeper inquiry into the true nature of existence and, ultimately, to seeking the path toward peace, an encounter with the Bhutanese culture encourages us to ask the bigger questions of life that we may not have time for in busier societies with more materialistically-defined ideas about success and happiness. 7. Bhutan offers an opportunity for personal transformation This is not a tall claim. For those who find it at the right time in their lives, Bhutan can be a catalyst for personal transformation. The 17th century Japanese Haiku poet Basho believed that travel can be a process of spiritual rebirth. He wrote that when you visit sacred sites and explore sacred landscapes, you enter a liminal space of the heart and the mind, where your old habitual self dies, and you enter an in-between state in which a new awareness arises. He believed that, in this elevated form of travel, we undertake such journeys seeking to be reborn in a higher state of consciousness by encountering all the sublime influences in the places that we experience. The multitude of spiritually significant landmarks in Bhutan makes it a place where you’re likely to have just such an awakening. 8. Here you can take an inner and an outer journey Like the best places to visit in the world, you can take both an inner and an outer journey in Bhutan. There's the physical journey through the history, the temples, the monasteries, the ancient landscape, the valleys and gorges, the rushing waterfalls, the aquamarine rivers roaring down from the snow-capped peaks. Then there's the inner journey in which the visitor can travel in their own hearts and their minds over some of the paths that the Bhutanese people follow in their own learning and study, their beliefs, their spiritual practices and their way of life. In this way you can travel simultaneously on two planes and connect with the hearts and minds of the people to get an understanding of where their culture comes from, their version of reality and their perspective on the nature of existence. Along the way you're invited to immerse yourself in a way of seeing the world differently, which is one of the greatest gifts of travel. 9. You can bring home the practical lessons for your own life The stated national goal of Bhutan is perfecting a formula for happiness. Ask for a meeting with a high lama whose job it is to daily contemplate the ways of finding mental peace or talk to a government official whose responsibilities include protecting the four main pillars of Gross National Happiness: cultural preservation, environmental well-being, equitable socioeconomic development and good governance. Bhutanese people are wonderful at sharing their stories and their perspectives which means that, if you're willing to listen, you will likely find more than a few practical gems you can bring home to enhance your own life. 10. We are all connected The ultimate lesson of Bhutanese culture is that we are all warmed by the same spiritual fire, that we are all, each of us, Buddhas in the rough. To break down the delusions that separate us and to understand the interconnected nature of all things are the true goals of Buddhism. When an entire country believes that we have all been each other’s mothers in our previous lives, it makes that country much more open to visitors. As Bhutanese people we are also universalists at heart. By sharing our perspectives, which are grounded in the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha), Bhutanese people are not expressing their belief that there is some higher quality to our culture that makes us better than others. Instead, we are sharing our belief that a close examination of our own minds can vastly improve the quality of our lives spiritually and practically no matter where we come from. And that, ultimately, is what makes Bhutan a truly worthy destination whether in 2020 or beyond. KARMA SINGYE DORJI Travel Programs Coordinator Bhutan Himalaya Expeditions Karma has been leading close and intimate journeys to Bhutan since 1999. He is the author of Dreaming of Prayer Flags: Stories and Images from Bhutan. A print version of this post appears in the year-end issue of Tashi Delek, the inflight magazine of Drukair, Royal Bhutan Airlines, the national airline of Bhutan.

Karma Dorji, Bhutan Himalaya Expeditions Sharing a slice of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness with two New York Times journalists Bhutan’s Fourth King, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck (center), often told the Bhutanese people to think of the country as one big family. “We are all part of one big Bhutanese family,” Bhutan’s Fourth King (and father of the current king), His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, chief architect of the kingdom’s Gross National Happiness policy, was fond of saying. I heard these words so frequently during the early 1990s—on my multiple assignments covering the monarch’s frequent royal tours crisscrossing all 20 districts of the country—that they are etched in my memory. Farmers relax in Lobeysa, Bhutan, where time to socialize and enjoy deep family bonds are important ingredients for human happiness, the ultimate goal of government. I mentioned this fact nearly two decades later to New York Times writer Seth Mydans and Times videographer Mariko Takayasu during their assignment to cover Bhutan and Gross National Happiness. The pair were joined by Mariko’s son, Dylan, on break from high school. We traveled together, meeting and interviewing Bhutanese people from different walks of life: government leaders, farmers, professionals, and private individuals, anyone who might have the key to understanding Bhutan’s happiness policy. We arranged for Seth and Mariko to meet the Prime Minister, the Secretary for Gross National Happiness—yes, that’s a major arm of the Bhutanese government!—and some other high-ranking officials along the way. But the true insight came from a source more deeply rooted in the Bhutanese way of life. At one point in an interview with the (then) Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley, Seth interrupted him in the middle of explaining government policy and asked, somewhat unexpectedly: “What makes you personally happy?” The PM’s instant reply: “My family.” The prime minister said his strong family bonds were part of the secret sauce for his happiness and that the same was true for most average Bhutanese citizens. Therefore, extrapolated, it was an essential indicator of Gross National Happiness. The prime minister’s words made sense to me, and it explained the fourth king’s habit of reminding people to work together “like one big family.” It was, after all, the strongest representation of unity and strength in the culture. The word ‘family’ appears 45 times in the most recent national questionnaire for a survey of Gross National Happiness created by the Bhutanese think tank, the Centre for Bhutan Studies & GNH Research. Seth and Mariko nodded and took notes at the interview, but I couldn’t help wondering if my worldly journalist friends would be satisfied with the prime minister’s response. They were visitors with a limited time in Bhutan, working under tight international deadlines; how could we best share the truth of the prime minister’s words with them? We meant to find out. Some days later, driving over the 10,000-foot-high Dochu-La pass, we descended precipitously into the fertile cleft valley of Lobeysa. Our timing could not have been better. We arrived during the first harvest of the year when some fields are partially stubbled with squat golden yurts of harvested rice, but there are still fields full of tall, swaying paddy stalks, heavy with golden ears of grain. Most tours go on to the folklorically colorful village temple, Chimi Lhakhang, a.k.a “the Temple of the Divine Madman.” We decided, instead, to follow the aroma of roasted rice. It came wafting on the air from the bamboo thatch lean-to beside a traditional two-story home belonging to an elderly farmer, Thoeba, and his wife, Choengyim. As they saw us approaching, the couple stepped out to greet us with a large wok of freshly roasted rice, the newly puffed grains looking like cherry blossoms in miniature. In a smoky kitchen in Lobeysa, a woman roasts rice over a roaring fire. Delighted, we fell to munching the still sizzling rice as the couple’s precocious grandchildren played underfoot. Soon, other family members and neighbors stopped by, some helping with the roasting while others dropped armloads of firewood on the hut’s mud floor, squatted, and began to stoke the flames in the open fire pit. Cheerful banter flowed back and forth; there was good-natured ribbing, punctuated by laughter. The couple’s older son, responsible for the heavy lifting on the farm, joined us sometime later. Then Thoeba and Choengyim invited us next door into their home, an ancient rammed-earth Bhutanese farmhouse with thick walls, heavy wooden beams, and new corrugated metal roofing (a recent change from the traditional slate and wood-shingle common to the region). There they proudly introduced us to a picture of their second son, a Buddhist monk, hanging in a frame beside the family altar. They proffered homemade khabzay, the mildly-sweet fried dough eaten during celebrations, followed by a simple meal of suja, or butter-tea, the newly roasted rice, and the fiery local rice-brew, ara, similar to the Japanese sake wine. Soon, Thoeba and Choengyim made us feel like extended members of the family. They ate shyly, fed us more, and between mouthfuls of the roasted rice soaked in butter-tea, spoke with quiet pride about their children like parents everywhere. When Seth and Mariko finally asked them if they were happy, they looked at each other and nodded. “What more do I need?” Thoeba said to Mariko, explaining. “The government takes care of us by providing agricultural subsidies [for seeds and farming equipment], free healthcare, and education [pointing to the grandchildren]. I work as long as I can. I stop when I need to. My fields provide for my family, and we rely on each other in times of difficulty. I pray if I have time left in the day, and if I’m tired, I cover my head and go to sleep.” Choengyim laughed, nodded her agreement, and said, “Yes, that is the way it is with us.” Ricefields in Lobeysa near Thoeba and Choengyim’s home As we made our way back through the rice fields in the gathering dusk, other members of Thoeba and Chongyim’s family appeared at the door. Their farm work done for the day, they stood around the two elders in a tight cluster, silhouetted against the whitewashed walls of their ancestral home, where so many of their generations had lived and died, waving us goodbye. Looking back toward the couple and their brood, I thought again about what the Prime Minister had said earlier about his family and personal happiness. Then I remembered His Majesty’s words about seeing the entire Bhutanese nation as one large family and, somehow, the two ideas melded in my mind and became one. Watch the New York Times video, Measuring Happiness, which includes footage of the Lobeysa farmer, Thoeba, and the Bhutanese Prime Minister’s interview. Credits: Mariko Takayasu & Christopher Flavelle, for the New York Times.) Read the NY Times article of this journey, Recalculating Happiness in a Himalayan Kingdom, by Seth Mydans. SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

Karma Dorji, Bhutan Himalaya Expeditions Bhutan’s fascinating mask dances are exceptional opportunities to learn about Bhutanese culture and deepen your understanding of the profoundly rich Himalayan Buddhist worldview. Here’s our scoop on Bhutan’s top 10 mask dances and what makes them great experiences on any Bhutan travel itinerary. 10. The Dance of the Drums of Dramitse (locally, Dramitse Nga Cham) The Dance of the Drums of Dramitse (pictured above), is among the primary ‘vision’ dances, or Chams, of Bhutan. Recognized as a “Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage” by UNESCO, this dance features 16 performers wearing exotic masks representing real and mythic animals. Among them are the vulture-headed Garuda, the Dragon, the Snow Lion, Tiger, Bear, Pig, and Dog, each one representing a different form of enlightened energy. The dancers wear colorful silk skirts, stylized shoulder mantles, waist-length felt or brocade jackets, and crossed sashes front and back with decorative elements. The ritual music of skin drums—which the dancers beat with a long, curved stick in time to their steps—and monks playing the oboe, longhorns, bells, and hand-held cymbals, adds a rich and layered ambiance to the performance. The dance depicts visions of the heavenly court of Padmasambhava (patron saint of the Himalayas) described by the Buddhist sage Kunga Gyeltshen in the early sixteenth century. Today this regional dance from Dramitse in eastern Bhutan is a familiar crowd-pleaser at most state celebrations and annual Tshechu festivals across the kingdom. 9. The Black Hat Dance (Locally, Zhanak Cham) Ceremonial Black Hat Dancers getting ready for their performance. Bhutan’s answer to Istanbul’s whirling dervishes, the black hat dancers perform this spinning, mesmerizing dance with similar trance-like intensity. The flowing brocade robes, the blaring temple music, and the intricate ritual accouterments make this dance compelling. Although the dancers appear without masks, the vibrant costumes, the somber ceremony, and its deep religious significance for the Bhutanese make the Black Hat Dance a worthy candidate for our list. The gracefully turning dancers gather speed as the performance moves along, their graceful movements and secret hidden meanings purifying the space and generating the dynamic forces of altruism and spiritual liberation. 8. The Dance of the Stags and Hounds (locally, Shawa Shachi) The Dance of the Stags and Hounds is a comic-lyric play drawn from a famous episode in the life of the tenth-century Himalayan yogi, Milarepa. The Dance of the Stags and Hounds is an immensely watchable comic-lyric play with an uncomplicated plot progression. A proud hunter, his manservant, and their vicious hounds chase a frightened stag that seeks the protection of Milarepa, the great tenth-century Himalayan yogi, who gives religious teachings that cause the men to give up hunting and devote their lives to Buddhist compassion. The first act opens with the playful air of a Shakespearean comedy, with the hunter’s obtuse manservant and several jesters causing much of the laughter and the fun. The second half evolves into a lesson on Buddhist morality, sung in poetic verse, that devout Bhutanese Buddhists generally take to heart. 7. Dance of the Noblemen and Ladies (Locally, Pholek Molek) The Dance of the Noblemen and Ladies is a morality play that is earthy, irreverent, and rustic in its humorous take on the follies and foibles of men and women. Played in the vein of a comic farce—think A Midsummer Night’s Dream—this play-dance has two couples (each a nobleman and a lady) who arrive dressed in traditional finery and masks that emphasize the men’s good looks and the pleasing feminine qualities of the women. Other characters include a lascivious crone and an assortment of lewd clowns. The men leave for battle, giving tokens of remembrance and saying tender goodbyes to their wives. As soon as the men go, the clowns stir up trouble, seducing the wives with the rude older woman alternately helping and hindering their attempts to sleep with two young ladies. Confusion and comedy ensue. The men return to learn what has happened. They fly into a jealous rage and fight with the clowns. Finally, the gentlemen and the ladies reconcile. This improvisational, folksy nature of the comedy makes this performance fun to watch, so long as one doesn’t examine the plot too closely. 6. Dance of the Divine Sisters (locally, Achey Lhamo) The Achey Lhamo is an ancient, rarely seen traditional mask dance from the far eastern horizons of Bhutan, including the valleys of Merak and Sakteng. This rarely seen dance from Bhutan’s far-flung eastern regions of Merak and Sakteng makes our list for its fascinating origins and atmosphere. According to legend, the great fifteenth-century spiritual adept, religious architect, and bridge builder Drubthob Thangthong Gyalpo gathered seven sisters together and taught them the Achey Lhamo dance. As they danced, Thangthong Gyalpo played on the skin drums and collected fees to help pay for a bridge to improve access in one of Tibet’s remote regions. In time the dancers became so popular that the people began calling them Lhamo, or goddesses. The name stuck and became Achey (Sisters) Lhamo (Goddesses). The staccato beat of the skin drums; the energetic, leaping dancers; the rudimentary masks fashioned from yak hair, wool, and animal skin all serve to heighten this dance’s primal atmosphere. It is among the handful of religious dances performed by the lay population rather than monks. 5. The Dance of the Fearsome Drums (locally, Ging Tsholing) Athletic and vigorous, the fearsome Ging mask dancers of Bhutan are a thrill to watch. As the dance’s local name implies, there are two sets of dancers in this performance. The Tsholing dancers, wearing fearsome masks, represent a class of wrathful deities who take on terrifying aspects to destroy negative tendencies. They wear red and maroon robes and make slow, graceful movements, brandishing long silken banners to summon evil influences in the world before dispatching them. The Ging, in similarly colorful masks, wear leopard print pantaloons and tiger-stripe skirts. In contrast to the slower, more graceful rhythms of the Tsholing, the Ging leap, whirl, and beat their drums vigorously as they run through the crowds, tapping on people’s heads with the drumsticks in a ritual spiritual cleansing. They chase fleeing spectators gleefully through the crowds and lean precariously out of tall windows and balconies while drumming vigorously, a fact that underlines their impressive stamina and prowess. Watching the two sets of dancers and their contrasting performance styles makes for an alternately meditative and thrilling experience. 4. The Dance of the Great Warrior King Gesar of Ling (locally, Gesar Ling Cham) In the titular role of King Gesar of Ling, the Tang Rinpoche (a reincarnated senior Buddhist abbot in central Bhutan) wears a golden crown, royal robes, and carries multi-colored triangular flags symbolizing the auspicious colors of Himalayan Buddhist kings. This dance presents a visually stunning performance of excerpts from the 12th century (oral) epic of the mythic Himalayan King Gesar of Ling. King Gesar and his warriors appear in shining armor, intricately carved breastplates, and royal brocades. Performers play battle scenes in period military regalia. There are the usual ceremonial temple music and chanting of the Buddhist sutras, but the martial drumming, the elaborate orchestration, and the vibrant costumes take center stage. Exciting interludes to the main feature include an energetic Tibetan Snow Lion Dance (Sengye Cham). 3. Lords of the Charnel Grounds (locally, Dhurdag Cham) The Lords of the Charnel Grounds are a class of supernatural beings who aid one’s spiritual growth by destroying the human tendencies of clinging, ego-grasping and attachment-forming that are seen as obstacles to achieving Buddhist enlightenment. A spectacular dance performed in white full-body costumes, the principal dancers appear wearing bony skeletal death masks. They rake long, ghoulish fingernails through the air as they backbend, spin, and dance with agility. In Tantric Buddhism, the skeletons represent powerful spirits and deities who destroy negative human tendencies of fear, attachment, ego-grasping, and judgmental perceptions, which constitute obstacles to Buddhist enlightenment. In this view, the charnel grounds are transformational power spots because, in such spaces, one confronts the body’s impermanence to attain spiritual clarity. Thus a symbolic killing by the Lords of the Charnel Grounds toward the end of the dance represents the ego’s death. Stark and gripping, this dance is a palate-cleanser for the other color-saturated performances you may see at the same event. 2. The Eight Forms of the Precious Guru Padmasambhava (locally, Guru Tshen Gye) Sheltered under silken parasols, the beatific Guru Padmasambhava (in a gold mask) arrives in a procession ahead of the Dance known as the Eight Forms of the Precious Guru Padmasambhava, or Guru Tshen Gye. This dance is among the most anticipated events in what is usually a multi-day Tshechu festival celebration. It begins with Guru Padmasambhava, the great 8th-century spiritual hero and patron saint of the Himalayas. A senior monk playing the role appears on the scene bedecked, bejeweled, and escorted in a regal procession—including silken parasols, shining mystic banners, musical fanfare, crowds monks, and civilians. A reverent hush falls over everyone as the Guru, clad in royal silks, and wearing a beatific golden smile, makes his way through the crowd. The Bhutanese audience members strain to reach for a blessing from the Guru’s heavy golden hand. Making the moment powerful is the Bhutanese understanding that trained practitioners can channel divine presence through rigorous monastic practices, meditation, trance-work, and visualization. Next, dancers embodying the Guru’s eight classical forms appear. They give superb performances in correspondingly impressive masks and costumes. The final dancer enacts the destruction of the hostile energies in the world. Finally, the Guru departs amid a crescendo of oboes, longhorns, cymbals, drums, fluttering flags, and banners, leaving a profoundly moved audience, some of whom appear tearful. 1. Judgment of the Dead (locally, Raksha Mangcham) Performed on an epic scale, the Dance of the Judgment of the Dead begins with the towering Lord of Death's arrival. This dance gets our top billing for spectacle, folksy humor, and spiritual depth. A towering, red-faced figure of the Lord of Death moves in an impressive procession around the performance grounds. Once he is seated, his animal-headed minions go offstage to bring, alternately, two recently dead men for their judgments. The first man in a dark, tortured mask appears dressed as a hunter. His name is ‘The Great Sinner Destined for 100,000 Hells.’ The second dead man arrives wearing a white mask and holding a prayer book in his hand, signaling his virtue. His name loosely translated means ‘The Householder who was a Propagator of Peace and Tranquility.’ Thus begins an object lesson in the karmic fruits of good and evil. A Dark Demon and a White Angel each seek to alternately condemn and save the souls of the two dead men. Ultimately, despite the angel’s best efforts to help the sinner, the condemned man’s lapses far outweigh his good deeds, and, consequently, the demon drags him away by his feet to the lower realms for his punishment. Fortunately for the man in white, his merits outweigh his sins, and he is escorted to the celestial realms with the angel as heavenly music plays overhead. This dance is an excerpted play drawn from the eighth-century classic Himalayan Buddhist text, the Bardo Thodrol, or Liberation through Understanding in the Between (popularly known in the West as The Tibetan Book of the Dead). The voice-over narrations to the dance press the audience to practice kindness, compassion, and generosity while they still have time. They encourage the faithful to give up karmically burdensome habits such as killing, self-cherishing, and cruelty. This dance leaves viewers with many stunning impressions and a profound reflection on the perils of an unexamined life. SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

On the 113th birth anniversary of Bhutan’s modern nation-state, December 17, 2020, Bhutan Himalaya’s Travel Programs Coordinator, Karma Dorji, reflects on the Triple Gems of King, Country and People. December 17, 2020 - 113th National Day of Bhutan ______ Text by Karma Singye Dorji, with photos from royal media archives A temple wall mural tells the story of the Four Harmonious Friends in Bhutan's capital, Thimphu. Bhutanese children learn from their earliest days the parable of the Four Harmonious Friends. In the story, Elephant, Monkey, Rabbit, and Phoenix go searching for the fruit of immortality. They each separately find the tree on which the magic fruit grows but cannot reach the high branch on which it hangs. Realizing this, they decide to work together: Elephant stands under the tree. Monkey climbs on his back. Rabbit jumps on Monkey. Phoenix roosts on Rabbit, putting the topmost animal within reach of the immortality bestowing fruit. But Phoenix, and here’s the real lesson, instead of immediately ingesting the life-giving fruit—think of it as, say, a potentially life-saving vaccine—passes it down to Rabbit. Rabbit sees Phoenix’s selfless example and gives it to Monkey, who hands it down to Elephant, the one holding up the entire Musicians-of-Bremen-like structure. The Elephant takes a bite of the immortality giving fruit (or receives the prophylactic vaccine in the comparison above) and shares the rest with the other animals, and they all live harmoniously ever after. This founding principle of Harmony in the culture ensures Bhutan’s success in protecting its people from the pandemic’s worst effects. Photo: Royal Media. Their Majesties the Fourth (Left; yellow shoulder scarf) and the Fifth (Right; yellow shoulder scarf) Kings of Bhutan with the Health Minister (in front) and the Prime Minister (in the rear). Bhutan’s latest coronavirus figures tell an incredible story: 439 confirmed cases, 408 recovered, 31 active (and under strict observation and quarantine), zero deaths from the pandemic. It is a stunning feat for a small and under-equipped nation. And even though the future remains uncertain, the kingdom’s 113th National Day, December 17, seems an appropriate time to pause and reflect on this remarkable achievement. Like the Four Harmonious Friends of old, the Bhutanese Monarchy, Government, and people continue to preserve the values of trust, harmony, and cooperation in their collective action against the pandemic. Trust between the King, the Government, and the People of Bhutan is the three-layered national shield, the three-level deep force-field of goodwill and good luck that protects this precious corner of the Himalayas still. Instead of a potential descent into chaos, fear, incompetence, and finger-pointing, there is the quiet leadership of two living Bodhisattva Kings. That leadership is buttressed by a government that seems made for the hour—led by a Prime Minister who is a practicing medical surgeon and a Health Minister who is a graduate of the renowned Yale School of Public Health—and a population that believes in the King and their Government. His Majesty the King confers with His Holiness the Je Khenpo, following state prayers conducted for lives lost around the world to Covid-19 in May. Photo: Royal Media. On this day’s national celebration, Bhutanese people should be justifiably proud of the strength, grace, and resilience of their social norms and values. Bhutanese society’s three foundational pillars, what they know as Tsawa Sum, or the kingdom’s soul principle, continues to hold the nation on a steady course despite the rough seas ahead. The Fourth and the Fifth Kings of Bhutan, the father, and the son, tour the kingdom’s most vulnerable areas listening to the people as they have for decades now and quell their fears. For, here, by their sheer physical presence, albeit masked and socially distanced to demonstrate by example, they communicate as no amount of televised statements could have done, the courage, will, and the resolve of the government to slow and, if possible, stop the spread of the pandemic. Through honest assessments in national addresses watched by an entire nation in lockdown, His Majesty, the Fifth King, outlined the hard work and sacrifices needed, delivered the unvarnished, un-sugar-coated truth. It was the honest, steady voice of leadership, devoid of empty promises of miracle turnarounds, fantasy dreams of quick fixes, or a “duck-for-cover-and-hope-for-the-best” approach. It was the quiet voice of reason and the reassuring pledge that the nation would face this challenge together united as one. His Majesty the Fifth King (front) fords a river on a tour to secure the border regions against potential coronavirus infiltration. Photo: Royal Media. The Fifth King's Royal [People's] Welfare Fund, called the Kidu Foundation in Bhutan, provides unemployment relief to people who are currently out of a job because of the pandemic. The fund includes donations and contributions from ordinary Bhutanese people from all walks of life. Under His Majesty, the Fifth King's guidance, the Prime Minister's office established clear guidelines for preventing the virus's spread. The Health Ministry began putting out regular updates to keep the citizens informed and managed the population's anxieties with clarity. Social media updates from both the Health Minister and her ministry appear regularly, informing the public. The official website and media channels of the Health Ministry continue to provide up-to-date information about the situation in the country, as does the Prime Minister's Office. A contact-tracing app has been built domestically and applied, creating greater transparency and efficiency in tracking the virus. It is important to remember that the secret to success in what has otherwise been a devastating year is the sacred bond of trust between the King, the government, and the people of Bhutan. In their deepest, darkest hour of spiritual need, the Bhutanese people often turn to the 'Three Jewels': the Buddha who taught the way; the Dharma, which codifies those teachings; and, finally, the Sangha or monastic community which practices the Buddhist path. In the hour of Bhutan's secular need arising from the pandemic, it is not unlikely for the Bhutanese people to invoke another kind of holy trinity: the harmony of King, Country, and People. Heartfelt wishes for a Happy National Day to all Bhutanese living in the country and overseas! The National Flag of Bhutan flying high in the central valley of Gangtey, Bhutan. Photo: Karma Dorji ___ Karma Dorji is Bhutan Himalaya's Travel Programs Coordinator and the author of Dreaming of Prayer Flags: Stories & Images from Bhutan, with impressionistic photography by Sandy Shum. Dreaming of Prayer Flags is shipped worldwide by Amazon.com. To purchase an autographed copy of the book, please email the author directly using the contact form at: https://www.bhutanhimalaya.com/newsletter (Please type “signed book” under email subject.) SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

If you’re celebrating International Day of Happiness today, Bhutan is the reason why. March 20, 2021 ______ Karma Singye Dorji, Bhutan Himalaya Expeditions This woman, an elder in the Mongar region of eastern Bhutan, finds happiness in the daily rituals of turning her hand-held mani prayer wheel, the support of her community, and the deeply rooted Buddhist practice she inherited from her own elders, a powerful combination of simplicity and perspective that eludes most of us in the modern world. Back in 2012, we wrote a post that read, “Bhutan brings its philosophy of Gross National Happiness or “GNH” to the world.” That was because the kingdom’s leaders had just brought Bhutan’s unique message of celebrating human happiness to the attention of a wider international audience. His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuk, Bhutan's Fourth King (center), chief architect of the kingdom's Gross National Happiness policy. Taking the daring and unconventional step at the time, Bhutan, in 2012, invoked a special meeting at the United Nations to include human happiness in its global agenda. “Conscious that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal,[…] Recognizing also the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the wellbeing of all peoples,” such was the pathbreaking language Bhutan pushed, “...decides to proclaim March 20 the International Day of Happiness…” Boys in central Bhutan's Bumthang region, returning home from school. That meeting, which took place during 2012’s 66th Session of the UN General Assembly, was attended by a panel of international luminaries such as the economist Jeffrey Sachs and the Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz, among others. It ended with the resolution that, going forward, March 20 of each year would be observed as what is now the “UN International Day of Happiness.” While the kingdom has convened other earlier international meetings on the topic of human happiness in countries as varied as Thailand, Brazil, Canada, and the Netherlands, the adoption by the UN was, for many Bhutanese, a matter of great pride. It continues to be one of the kingdom’s most laudable international achievements. The secular and the spiritual aspects of life go hand-in-hand in Bhutan. Pictured here: His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the Fifth King of Bhutan confers with His Holiness the Je Khenpo, spiritual head of Bhutan's Buddhist Monastic Clergy. Bhutan’s desire to push happiness as a key international agenda stems from the kingdom’s homegrown Gross National Happiness policy, the brainchild of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Bhutan’s fourth king (father of the current king). Since Bhutan’s illustrious fourth king first proposed the GNH policy in 1972, Bhutanese government intellectuals, thinkers and policymakers have elaborated and expanded the practical definitions of the GNH philosophy under the leadership of the kings and the elected governments. Bhutanese government institutions such as the Gross National Happiness Commission, and local think-tanks like the Centre for Bhutan Studies, continue to push research on the topic, carry out policies based on the findings, and realize the hopes and dreams of the kingdom’s visionary leaders. As increasingly understood now, Gross National Happiness has four pillars: good governance, sustainable socio-economic development, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation. A further nine sub-domains divide the four pillars in measuring psychological wellbeing, health, education, time use, cultural diversity and resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological diversity and resilience, and living standards. According to the Center for Bhutan Studies, “the [nine] domains represent each of the components of wellbeing of the Bhutanese people, and the term ‘wellbeing’ here refers to fulfilling conditions of a ‘good life’ as per the values and principles laid down by the concept of Gross National Happiness.” The preservation of Bhutan's pristine natural resources, which makes the kingdom a popular destination for travelers, is one of the 'four pillars' of Bhutan's national happiness goals. To further boost the goals of human happiness, Bhutan continues to host periodic international and bilateral events, delegations, academics, researchers, and economists to help the government improve and fine-tune its accuracy in measuring clearly-defined “happiness indicators.” This is an effort that other governments could do well to emulate in other parts of the world, bringing us all ever closer to our common goals of achieving human happiness for everyone. Happy International Day to the world! ___ SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

The 113th birth anniversary of Bhutan’s modern nation-state, December 17, 2020, is an excellent time to reflect on the enlightened leadership of the kingdom’s fourth ruler, sometimes called the “Illustrious Fourth” for his exemplary, epoch-making reign lasting from 1974 to 2006. Bhutan Himalaya’s Travel Programs Coordinator, Karma Dorji, shares his account of traveling with the King and the lessons learned along the way. He reflects on what enlightened leadership looks like, a thing so rare and precious in these days of coarsening global politics. December 17, 2020 - 113th National Day of Bhutan ______ Text by Karma Singye Dorji, with photos from official and royal archives Bhutan’s Fourth King, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck (center), with traditional Bhutanese elders. During the decade that was the 1990s, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck took many intense and strenuous tours—some lasting months—across Bhutan’s 20 remote and challenging districts. It was a tour de force of government planning and reviews, based on the King’s philosophy of Gross National Happiness, that ultimately led to much of the prosperity that Bhutan has seen in the 2000s. Much of the travel involved driving across the bumpy and often dusty roads in rugged four-wheel-drive Toyota Landcruisers. Still, it was not unusual for the King to sometimes walk several days to communicate the finer points of the government’s aims to Bhutanese citizens in the smallest, most remote villages of the kingdom. The King made sure every leading government official walked with him on those treks to the farthest corners of the land. There, the King asked each of his officers to tell the people what they would be doing to improve living standards in that region. Every woman, child, and man could then ask the King and his ministers any questions they had, make suggestions, and participate in the overall decision-making process. In this way, His Majesty ensured that abstract notions of progress and development addressed real grassroots concerns and remained grounded in the people’s welfare and happiness, which was his leadership’s highest goal, his Gross National Happiness philosophy in action. Out in the rural districts of Bhutan, the King loved personally serving his people a royal lunch, one of the many ways in which he bonded with his citizens. Often, in some far-flung valley rimmed by inaccessible and rugged peaks, as the royal entourage settled in for the night, the last lamp extinguished would be the one in the King’s modest cottage or tent. On one of the tours to Bhutan’s most extensive and most impoverished districts, several demanding issues came up for discussion. The King could have easily told the people they would receive a proper response from the royal secretariat later as he was keeping a rigorous schedule. No one would have questioned the decision. Instead, His Majesty worked with his ministers and planning officers to revise the plans for the next three days before offering it to the people again. In this way, the “Father of Gross National Happiness” made sure the people understood that every single farmer or villager gathered there mattered in their King’s eyes. He made sure they understood that they were as crucial to the task of nation-building as any influential desk-bound official or bureaucrat. This photo, taken during an unguarded moment in the mid-1990s, has appeared many times in Bhutanese and international media. For Bhutanese citizens, it came to represent the way in which the King cared deeply for his people. In those days, months, and years, His Majesty traveled unceasingly, covering an untold number of kilometers crisscrossing the country, stopping to speak to every farmer or villager who waited by the road to petition him. Those of us who traveled with him were flabbergasted by the slow progress on the road. “His Majesty must be exhausted!” we often heard the hushed voices say in the King’s entourage. And yet, we never saw a glimmer of irritation, never saw the King hurry. No government can keep moving forward in this painstakingly deliberate way, we thought. Yet, as time has shown, it was not just the right way but the only way to forge Bhutan’s unique path without losing sight of either the people’s needs or the nation’s Buddhist principles of compassion, tolerance, peace, and harmony for all. When most countries ranked their achievements by producing material goods, His Majesty taught the Bhutanese nation that the accurate measure of success should be the people’s well-being and happiness. He showed the Bhutanese people and the world that spiritual well-being matters just as much as material progress. He led the Bhutanese nation by example to believe that real social growth comes only when material and spiritual development happens holistically. Embedded in his idea of Gross National Happiness was his recognition that the heedless and hedonistic pursuit of purely economic goals, to the exclusion of human well-being, runs counter to truly lasting happiness, whether it be national or personal. Therefore, “the work of building a happy nation must include equitable and sustainable socio-economic development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and the establishment of good governance,” he often said. The young king, during his coronation ceremony in 1974. In a move so selfless it caused his cabinet to plead with the King to reconsider his decision, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck left the Bhutanese people with the reins of government firmly in their hands. Announcing his decision to step down in December 2006 and empower the kingdom’s new parliamentary democracy and constitution, His Majesty reminded the Bhutanese people that the power to shape Bhutan’s future lies not with leaders but with the Bhutanese citizenry. “In taking note of the progress that our nation has made over the past 34 years,” said the King. “I would like to state that whatever we have achieved so far is due to the merit of the people of Bhutan.” This kind of selflessness is the truest mark of a courageous leader. It contradicts the many examples worldwide of politicians desperately clinging to power to further personal gains, even those who profess to be living in the world’s so-called stable and functioning democracies. In these troubling times, we see how people’s power can be overtaken by corrupt politicians and interest groups that seek to steer governments for their selfish ends. Bhutan’s fourth king has shown that true leaders can act out of the highest morality, integrity, and selflessness. That is a tremendous legacy for Bhutan and the world at large. Not satisfied with paving a unique roadmap to happiness for Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck empowered and nurtured a people ready to reap the benefits of peace, liberty, justice, and well-being. The Fourth (right) & Fifth (left) Kings of Bhutan, during the 2004 official ceremony for the Fifth King’s appointment to the position of Choetse Penlop, the governorship of Bhutan’s culturally significant central Trongsa region. The Fifth King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, now carries this torch of progressive leadership into the 21st century. Following his father’s footsteps, the young King ensured a smooth transition to Bhutan’s new parliamentary democracy. Like his father, he has trekked to every remote village, every far-flung home, in every single district across the rugged Bhutanese landscape, listening to the people and studying their needs. Proving he has the same selfless DNA, the fifth King educated citizens from all walks of life about their rights and responsibilities under the new constitution framed to support and strengthen the people’s participation through the principles of Bhutan’s unique parliamentary democracy. With the same commitment, compassion, and concern for the people, the young King provides a moral beacon for the kingdom. While the vision came from the father, the son continues to shape Bhutan’s continuing evolution in the new century. The progressive changes in the Bhutanese government are, therefore, the shared legacy of two kings. In Bhutan, we raise prayer flags to carry our highest aspirations for peace and the cessation of suffering for all sentient beings out into the world. May the ripening blessings of these two Bhutanese kings soar on these flags and reach all nations around the world! The Fifth King, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (center, yellow sash), carries the enlightened leadership of Bhutan into the 21st Century. ___ Parts of this essay are excerpted from Karma Dorji’s 2008 book Dreaming of Prayer Flags: Stories & Images from Bhutan, with impressionistic photography by Sandy Shum. Dreaming of Prayer Flags is shipped worldwide from Amazon.com. To purchase an autographed copy of the book, please email the author directly using the contact form at: https://www.bhutanhimalaya.com/newsletter (Please type “signed book” under email subject.) SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

As we open our 2020 fall expedition to the base of Bhutan’s Mount Jomolhari (slated for October), our Travel Programs Coordinator, Karma Dorji, showcases in words and pictures why, despite the growing impact of tourism and the onslaught of modernity, a trek to the basecamp of the kingdom’s second highest peak remains one of the world’s great hiking experiences. ______ Photos & text by Karma Singye Dorji 1. Kado, 26, Mountain Man. Over the nearly two decades that I have been guiding guests of various nationalities on the trails crisscrossing the lap of Mount Jomolhari (24,038ft), I have fallen in love as much with the mountain as with her people. Having done it these many years, a trip back to the mountain feels more like a pilgrimage to me than a simple trekking expedition. This, even though, in my opinion, the route has become significantly degraded over the years by tourist traffic and a near-tragic clear-cutting of trees along the first section of the route in a mismanaged effort to bring electricity to the region. Many of the people I have guided over the years leave the mountain changed in some deep and profound ways by the power of the landscape, and the kindness, grace and strength of the people. I have personally been inspired by the incredible strength and tenacity of Mount Jomolhari’s children. The mountain has a way of stripping away the inessentials, exposing weaknesses, and demanding strength and endurance. I remember a time, in the early years, when we followed a young boy from Jangothang, a settlement near the mountain’s base who, at times half disappearing in the snow, trudged quietly and uncomplainingly with us, for hours going out of his way to guide us through an unexpected storm even though he got drenched in the subzero temperatures in the process. That boy, whose name I have sadly forgotten, is who I think of when I walk among people like 26-year old Kado who, similarly, was born and raised in the benevolent shadow of the mountain they call their protector. I met him at basecamp, where he spoke to me of his modest dreams: a new roof for his mother’s house, taking care of his elders and providing them a modicum of ease when they retire to the traditional Buddhist life of prayer and meditation. Talking to this quiet young man, listening to his rock-like resolve, I was reminded of one of the most important things we can do in life: be an anchor of strength for those we love. 2. Unveiling the Goddess When you get close to the mountain, the massive exposed rock face of Jomolhari’s base—streaked by waterfalls and fingers of perennial snow—gives no indication of the sheer magnitude of the peak. Black cliffs disappear under a sea of towering mist that reaches up to the sky, and it is only when the goddess “smiles” through a break in the weather that we see the immensity of her snowy crown. The semi-nomadic people who have lived here for centuries under her gaze believe that Ama Jomo, their Mother Goddess, watches over them and protects their world. Appraising the mountain from the Tibetan side (Bhutan was closed to outsiders then), the early 20th century English explorer F. Spencer Chapman wrote in 1939: “Chomolhari [aka Jomolhari] gives a greater impression of sheer height and inaccessibility than any other mountain I know. It drops in a series of almost vertical rock precipices to the foothills beneath. It is thought by many to be the most beautiful mountain in the whole length of the Himalaya.” 3. Beauty & Respect The powerful landscape of the valleys around Jomolhari always touches me in the deepest places of my heart. As I leave first camp at Thangthangkha, from where I see the top of Jomolhari's familiar snow cone summit playing peek-a-boo from behind the forbidding range, I can feel the mental chatter of my days quieting down, bringing me to the threshold of an awed silence. No room here for ego, for superficial words or for putting up defensive shields; nor too for the closing of emotional doors. The immensity of the landscape makes tiny specks of us all, and the vagaries of mountain weather reminds us to always tread carefully, respectfully, or else be reminded of our insignificance. As native-born Himalayan guides, it is our great duty and privilege to keep others safe. We take cues from the early mountain weather patterns as well as from the valuable indigenous knowledge that the region's semi-nomadic herders share so generously with us. We listen and we learn from local lore, gratefully accepting the advice of native elders who live in the region; we learn from the experiences of other guides, park officials, local authorities, native biologists and conservationists, always putting the safety of our travelers first. It is a tightrope walk, this partaking in the blessings of the mountain goddess and her people without adversely affecting the culture and the environment in this incredibly beautiful corner of our world. 4. Rich or Poor? Once we were camped near a yak-herder's settlement, a day’s walk from Jomolhari, at an altitude of some 12,300 feet. There we met the matriarch Keza Om (62, right), head of a family numbering three daughters, one of whom, Zom (30), is pictured here. A niece, two grandchildren, and two sons-in-law, who all live with her, round out the brood. From her seasonal stone-enclosure “roofed” by nothing more than a sheet of fraying tarpaulin, she survives on the milk and cheese produced by her yaks. Keza Om weathers snowstorms, freezing rains, and high winds with unwavering equanimity. “We do the best we can and leave the rest to fate,” she says. There’s not much here and everything is essential: the little plastic containers of cooking oil that have been cut away at the neck to be re-purposed as water buckets, the soot-blackened aluminum pots and pans for cooking meals and boiling milk, the churns for making butter and cheese, the prayer beads around her neck for remembering her daily Buddhist prayers; even the incongruously large tractor tire carried up the mountain by a son-in-law now reincarnated in the meadow outside her yurt as a feeding trough for the herd. Sitting amid such meager, cobbled possessions Keza Om's life seems hard and poverty-stricken. But the depth of her smile and the warmth of her welcome tells me otherwise. 5. Vital Elemental Things Crossing the high pass of Nyile La, in excess of 16,000-feet, you come upon this view. The first glimpse of the Lingshi Dzong, seen in the distance, always makes me simultaneously think of two very different things. A: that we are, in the overall scheme of things, truly insignificant. And b: that something about the snow-clouds drifting over the muscled slopes and ridges of the high mountains, the occasional roar of a waterfall in the distance, the moan of a calving glacier somewhere near the foot of a peak, the audible shrugging of great banks of snow from a massif (which always makes me think of a jet airplane passing overhead), and the way that we can almost touch the clouds in these rarefied heights of the world, tells me that we are each part of a much greater whole; that all of us are connected to the grand, unfathomable movements of nature even though we may not comprehend it all. Holding such thoughts in my mind, the superfluous melts away, replaced by vital elemental things: Gratitude. Breath. Beauty. And, of course, Weather, with a capital W! 6. Blue Sheep At the source of rivers, near the lairs of snow leopards, we often see stampeding herds of rare Himalayan Blue Sheep (Pseudois nayaur). These elegant ungulates were perhaps made most famous by the detailed studies of the celebrated biologist George B. Schaller, who wrote “Since blue sheep are the snow leopard’s principal prey…the two species are ecologically bound to each other.” In Bhutan, local conservationist friends of the snow leopards take heart from such sightings of healthy herds of blue sheep. Depending on size, maturity and season, their coats (“pelage” is the scientific term) range in color from brown to slate blue. The healthy populations of blue sheep, combined with some recent photographs of snow leopards captured using trip-wire cameras, and the increasing accounts of sightings by local yak herders in the Jomolhari region, provide encouraging circumstantial evidence. There are indications that the extremely rare and endangered cat, sometimes called the “ghost of the mountains” because of their elusive nature, continues to survive, and perhaps even thrive, in Bhutan where strong environmental policies protect their precious habitats. Traveling through this incredible landscape I am always reminded of the words of Peter Mathiessen, author of The Snow Leopard: “All is moving, full of power, full of light.” See a video clip of running blue sheep. 7. Precious Jewel of the Mountains No narrative of Jomolhari can be complete without mentioning yaks. In the high, arid region where agriculture is near-impossible, the area’s semi-nomadic herders depend on their yaks for survival. “Our yaks give us life,” Apa Penjor, a Jomolhari elder (now deceased), told me over 20 years ago when I first met him to write about a livestock disease depleting the local yak population. “They are like precious jewels for our people.” Cheese, milk and butter from the yaks are bartered in the lower valleys for grains, fresh produce, spices and other provisions in short supply at high elevations. Yak hair is spun into blankets, ropes and yurts; yak dung provides the fuel for fires. When we explore the spectacular slopes and valleys around Jomolhari we often meet local herders on their ancient grazing routes—men, women, children and elders—leading, or sometimes following, the animals they call Norbu Rinpoche, which, in their words, means “the gift that keeps on giving.” 8. The Grim March of Progress When I first hiked through the region nearly 25 years ago, it was still possible to feel like one had entered an untouched realm protected from the outside world by an invisible force-field, one of those hidden magical lands, the sacred bae-yul, that populate our Himalayan myths. A modern chair, which I saw used by the Drungpa or regional administrator, carried up the mountains by a porter, was the latest, most incongruous item of modernity I encountered back then. I remember being shocked by the sight, one morning, of the administrator sitting on that chair outside his tent, in front of the peak, reading his newspaper! Today, that office chair seems so innocent by comparison. What new things may yet soon become commonplace in the region? While it's easy for us to bemoan the visual pollution of electrical poles and lines cropping up amid such pristine surroundings, who are we deny or even judge the aspirations of Jomolhari’s people for what they deem to be better lives? For one thing, electricity means children can read after dark and do better in school. And yet if electricity arrives, can television—with the good and the bad of programming; advertising; and the generally soul-numbing selling and buying of consumer goods, with its concomitant environmental costs—be far behind? Ultimately, there’s no telling what indiscernible number of modern impulses that electricity will bring to the heart of Jomolhari. These men carrying the steel poles into the mountains were paid by local business contractors tasked by the government to build infrastructure for electricity in the region. The same businesses also cut down swathes of forest along the initial route to Jomolhari in the course of doing that, a sad and surprising oversight in a place where commercial logging is actually banned. Wearing cheap plastic boots and flip-flops, these men were earning Nu. 2,000 a day (less than 30 US dollars) doing the back-breaking work. "I am saving the money so I can help my parents in my village," one young man told me. More recently, helicopter services took to air-dropping these heavy metal poles into the remote interiors of Jomolhari, speeding up the process of change, bringing further intrusions to a place where the thud-thudding of rotor blades were previously unknown. 9. An Entreaty from the Mountains “When I was young our precious goddess [Jomolhari] was covered head to foot in robes of pure-white snow. Not so anymore,” says our longtime friend and caravan leader Ap Dawa, standing in front of the peak. “But there are many powerful countries in the world with resources far beyond our imagining,” he says. “I would like to plead with them to work together to find a way to reverse the negative impacts [of global warming] and help us protect our precious way of life.” While now in his 70s, Ap Dawa often puts men half his age to shame. Nimble and surefooted, the Jangothang elder likes to lead us on merry chases up and down the high slopes that provide some of the best views around basecamp. As a respected elder he also performs an ancient ritual that has now become a regular part of our treks. From a simple stone altar on the spreading yak meadow in front of Bhutan’s second highest peak (24,038ft), Ap Dawa conducts the time-honored rites worshiping the deity his people call “the Mother Goddess Mountain of the World.” As part of his invocations to the goddess, he seeks her blessings for the protection of all sentient beings in the world from suffering, and for peace and balance in the natural world. We can only hope that such heartfelt prayers will soon be heard in greater numbers all around the world, forcing our leaders to work toward some lasting solutions to save the future of the planet. 10. Protecting the Magic Despite encroaching modernity, in spite of the damage along the main trail to Jomolhari, the region still remains one of the most magical places in the world. We routinely enjoy such incredible experiences as starry nights in view of the sacred peak when it feels like you're looking up at the entire stretch of infinity. The challenges of preserving the last great untouched places in the world is a collective global responsibility and, in this, Bhutan punches far above its weight. As early as the 1980s, and perhaps even earlier, the kingdom has put its best foot forward with a series of far-reaching environmental policies backed by royal decrees and an overwhelming political will. We take heart from the fact that—as a country that sets aside more than 42 percent of its land mass in a system of protected areas—the Bhutanese government has introduced strong measures to reduce the impacts of tourism: campsites are clearly marked and delineated to reduce environmental damage on surrounding areas, everything brought in must be packed out, and special fees help pay for environmental cleanups. Agencies such as the excellent and wide-ranging non-profit Bhutan Foundation, with offices in Bhutan and the US, help protect endangered Snow Leopards while promoting sustainable livelihoods for local communities across Bhutan (https://bhutanfound.org/projects/snow-leopard-conservation-program/). Meanwhile, forestry and land use regulations and strict environmental protection laws help keep Bhutan a carbon-negative country. Places like Jomolhari have a great beauty and natural diversity that must be preserved as part of our sacred global heritage, an endeavor in which we all have a role to play—the visitors who are fortunate enough to walk these hallowed valleys beneath the gaze of the mountain goddess, the local governments and non-profits that seek to provide services and improved livelihoods while protecting biodiversity and precious natural resources and, ultimately, those of us who seek to share this amazing, glorious, life-changing landscape with the wider world. ___ To donate to a project benefiting environmental conservation and cultural preservation in the Jomolhari region, go to Bhutan Foundation's website: https://bhutanfound.org/ To learn more about our upcoming 2020 Trek to Mount Jomolhari, go to: https://www.bhutanhimalaya.com/bhutan-jomolhari-trek

A Golden October light over the Paro Valley, Bhutan A short and sweet program savoring the beautiful fall season of Bhutan​ ~ 10 Days If you are short on time yet would like to enjoy Bhutan during a tranquil lull at one of the best times of year weather-wise, this is your trip. This program was originally created for an American friend and her mother who saw pictures of Bhutan in National Geographic many years ago and has since desired to experience the kingdom. Includes highlights of the western valleys with a stop at Gangtey Monastery to perhaps coincide with the return of Bhutan's rare Black Necked Cranes. ITINERARY IN BRIEF Days 1: Arrive in Paro, national museum tour with evening transfer to the capital, Thimphu. | Day 2: Transfer to Wangdue Valley with a stop at the Dochula Pass with views of the greater Himalayan peaks. | Day 3: Visit the historic Punakha Dzong, or "Palace of Great Bliss". hike to the Jigme Yueley Namgyal pagoda. | Day 4: Transfer to the Phobjikha Valley, home of wintering Black Necked Cranes (If we are lucky we may see the first flocks arriving from the Tibetan plateau). | Day 5: Relaxed walking tour of the valley. Afternoon transfer to Wangdue. | Day 6: Return to the capital, with a visit to the dramatic ridgetop Wangdue fortress. Evening stroll through downtown Thimphu. | Day 7: Explore the colorful and bustling weekend farmer's market in the capital. Relaxed afternoon at the National Textile Museum and the Folk Heritage Museum. | Day 8: Attend a traditional dance performance at the Royal Academy of Performing Arts. Dinner reception with Bhutanese guests. | Day 9: Transfer to Paro. Hike to Tiger's Nest monastery. | Day 10: Depart for Bangkok or another gateway city. ***

The Entrance to Central Bhutan's Tamshing Monastery A Comprehensive Journey into Bhutan's Spiritual Heartland ~ 17 to 19 Days We journey past a tableau of revered peaks in the Bhutan Himalayas, from the breathtaking valleys of Paro and Thimphu to the the Castle of the White Crane in the heart of the kingdom. Stopping at annual festivals that may coincide with our travels, we glimpse the timeless soul of Bhutan. After acclimating day hikes, including one to the famed Tiger's Nest Monastery, we discover exquisite temples, quiet villages and farms where we get a true taste of Bhutanese life. If you wish to combine your journey with a trek, we recommend the 5-day Dragon's Path Trek. Or, if you have more time, the 10-day In Goddess Jomo's Lap. ITINERARY IN BRIEF Days 1&2: Arrival at Paro, National Museum visit. Transfer to Wangdue Valley, with a stop at Dochula Pass to view the Greater Himalayas. Days 3 & 4: Transfer to the central valleys of Trongsa & Bumthang, with a stop near the Chendebji Stupa (right). Visit the Castle of White Crane and valley floor monasteries. Days 5& 6: Hike to the "Burning Lake" and Pema Ling Nunnery. Transfer to Wangdue with a stop at Chumey handloom centre to admire the region's vibrant wool weavings. Visit Trongsa Dzong. Days 7 & 8: Visit historic Punakha Dzong, and hike to Jigme Yueley Namgyal pagoda. Transfer to the capital with time for an early evening stroll downtown. Day 9: Attend performances at the Great Culmination Festival, or Drupchhen. Day 10: Excursion to Haa Valley and the Temple of White Doves. Days 11 & 12: Farm visit with a traditional meal and tea. Paro valley floor temple tour. Day 13: Attend the grand Thimphu tshechu festival honoring Padmasambhava, patron saint of the Himalayas. Day 14: Hike to Tango Buddhist College. Day 15: Return to tshechu festivities for the important closing performances. Day 16: Visit the colorful weekend Bazaar and textile museum, the folk heritage museum. Day 17: Relaxed exploration of Thimphu valley, with time for last minute shopping. Day 18: Hike to Tger's Nest Monastery. Day 19: Return Flight to Bangkok or another gateway city. ***

Sunset over mountains looking toward Bhutan's eastern frontiers An epic road trip along Bhutan's lateral route from West to East Bhutan ~ 16 Days Not for the faint of heart, this trip is essentially one long road trip across the full lateral route of Bhutan, and the accommodations in the final three valleys of the far-east can get pretty rustic. But if you love being driven across a constantly changing landscape and have a high tolerance for long drives on winding roads with incredible scenery, this is the trip for you. Starting from Paro in Western Bhutan, we stop to take in the sights along Bhutan’s eastern route, until we arrive in the frontier-town of Trashigang. Along the way we hike to beautiful temples and monasteries in each of the three distinct regions of Bhutan, attended local religious festivities (in season) and cover a landscape that has changed little over the centuries. We take you deep into eastern Bhutan where the kingdom’s prized weaving traditions are preserved. Discover the jaw-dropping Sengor Highway, a road that stretches, winds and loops like some crazy black taffy, traversing some of the highest mountain passes accessible by car before plunging deep into a lush landscape of subtropical jungles and exotic birds. From thundering waterfalls to serene villages hidden in the mist, this trip offers many rewards for the adventurous! A spectacular Himalayan flight back to Paro followed by a hike to famous Tiger’s Nest monastery adds the final flourish to your trip across the full breadth of Bhutan. ITINERARY IN BRIEF Day 1: arrive in Paro | Days 2 & 3: Paro & Thimphu | Day 4: drive to Punakha | Day 5: drive to Trongsa | Day 6: drive to Jakar | Days 7 & 8: Cultural touring in Jakar (tshechu festivals in season) | Day 9: Sengor Highway | Day 10: Hike to Khoma weaving village | Days 11: Khoma to Mongar | Day 12: Drive to Trashiyangtse | Day 13: Drive to Trashigang* Day 14: Fly to Paro | Day 15: Hike to Tiger’s Nest | Day 16: depart for Bangkok or another gateway city ***