Bhutan’s Culture and Tradition
Culture & Tradition
Bhutanese culture is one of most unique cultures in the world. Bhutan’s culture being unique has always and is still continuing its responsibility for protecting the sovereignty of the nation. Being a small country with a very undersized population, the need to preserve culture and tradition is amplified. The uniqueness of the culture and tradition is evident in the everyday life of the Bhutanese people.
Birth: Bhutanese people never believe in gender discrimination so every birth of a child is always welcomed with full of love and affection. After the birth of a child, the outsiders usually do not visit the child for first three days as it is believed that the house is considered polluted by kaydrip (defilement by birth) so a purification ceremony (Lhabsang) is carried out within the house and after which the outsiders come to see the new born baby. Gifts are showered to the newborn and the mother .The gifts specially ranging from rice and dairy products in the rural places to clothes and money in the urban. The name of a child is usually given by a religious person or the child is taken to a temple of the local deity (natal deity) and the name associated with the deity is given. But in some cases a child is given the name of the day on which the child is born. The horoscope of the baby known as kye tsi in Bhutanese is written in the Bhutanese calendar. It gives out the specific outlets of the time and date of birth, predicts the future of the child, rituals has to be carried out on certain stages in the life of the child as remedy to possible illness, problems and misfortunes ahead. Traditionally in the Bhutanese culture, celebrating birthdays did not exist where as it has now at present has become popular amongst the urban dwellers.
Marriage: Way back in the olden days, arranged marriages were popular, people married among the relatives. For instance, especially in the eastern part of Bhutan, cross-cousin marriage was a popular tradition. But it is now becoming unpopular among the literate mass so most of the marriages take place on their own choices and will. Marriages are conducted in the simplest way. A small ceremony is carried out by a religious person but however in some cases dinner parties are organized and the parents, relatives and the friends’ present scarves (kha-dar) to the couple along with gifts in the form of cash and goods during the ceremony. In the western part of Bhutan, the husband moves into the wife’s house after marriage while in the eastern Bhutan it’s the opposite. However the practice is not very compulsory. The new wedded couples may set up their own household on their own plot of land. Divorce is accepted in the Bhutanese society and carries no disgrace. The divorced couple in most situations remarries with their new partner but compensation is paid by the party in quest for separation.
Funeral: Death is the most expensive affair in the Bhutanese society. On the other hand, it is believed to be passing on to another life thus many ceremonies are performed to help the departed soul to get a better rebirth. Rituals are carried out on these particular days from the 7th day, 14th, 21st and the 49th days of the death. Cremations are done on a good day prescribed by the astrologer but in habitually before the 7thday ritual. Elaborate ceremonies are also conducted on the death anniversary for three successive years with erection of prayer flags in the name of the deceased. The relatives and the people of the locality come with alcohol, rice or other sundry items to attend these rituals.
Bhutanese Dress: The traditional dress of Bhutan is one of the most unique in the world. Men wear gho, a long robe that is raised above the knee length, folded backwards and then tied around the waist section by a kera, a belt. Customarily, the pouch formed
above the waist is used for carrying bowl, money and doma (areca nut and betal leaf eaten with a dash of lime). The pouch is also used for inserting a knife between the belt and the pouch section by the men. The dress for the tribal and semi nomadic people like the Bramis and Brokpas of eastern Bhutan, the Layapas of western Bhutan have their own unique dress and do not wear gho and kira. The Brokpas and the Bramis wear a dress made out of yak hair and sheep wool with an animal skin over it and also a hat with five fringes hanging from the sides. The Layap men dress gho while it’s different for women. As layap women dress in a different way with a loose outfit that reaches their calves but the dress is made out of yak hair only and they put on a conical bamboo hat on their head. On official visits to a Dzong or an office, Bhutanese man wear a scarf called kabney as wearing a kabney is an important part of the Bhutanese decorum and should be put on in an appropriate manner. The kabney identifies the position of a person. As the king wears the yellow scarf, ministers wear orange, judge’s green, district administrator’s red with a white band going lengthwise and the white coloured kabney with fringes for the common people. Women on the other hand wear a rectangular shaped cloth piece known as kira and it is tied in the mid section or the waist section by a belt. However unlike men, women wear kira till their ankle and also wear the scarf known as rachu. They hang it over their shoulder and the rachu is a hand woven scarf with fringes at the end. It is much smaller comparing to the kabney.
Food and Eating Habits: Eating with spoons is an imported culture so Bhutanese people normally eat with hands. All the family members sit on the floor in a circle facing each other and the mother serves the food with love and devotion to the family members. Majority of the Bhutanese people still use traditional plates made out of wood (dapa/dam/dolom) and bamboos (bangchungs). Before eating they toss some morsels of rice in the air as an offering to the deities and the spirits. The favorite and the most frequent dishes seen mostly in a Bhutanese house are Ema datsi ( chilli with cheese), paa ( sliced pork and beef) and red rice. Chilli is must for the Bhutanese so no dish goes without chilli. People also drink salted butter tea (suja) and alcohol too. Doma (betel leaf and areca nut eaten with a dash of lime) is carried by many in their pouch and offering of Doma to someone is an act of showing respect, friendship, politeness and a mark of kindness.
Festivals: One of the most colorful festivals in the Bhutanese calendar is the Tshechu performed in all the Dzongs and in many 
monasteries and temples spread throughout Bhutan. Tshechu is a mask dance festival to commemorate the events in the life of Guru Rinpochoe who is revered as the second Buddha in Bhutan. There is also a display of Thongdrol, large scroll paintings of deities and saints which have the power to liberate people from sin that they had committed just by seeing it. People gather from all walks of life to witness this significant event. There are many other festivals distinct to different villages which are mostly animistic in nature performed by mediums. The festivals are moment for social get-together where people wear their finest clothes and jewelries.
Folk festivals: In the community level, numbers of local festivals held and these festivals are mostly inspired by the pre-Buddhist tradition providing a very fascinating insight to the local belief. Majority of these festivals are believed to be originated from the Bon practices. Few of the festivals are Ache Lhamo Dances, Bumthang , Hungla dances, Trashi Yangtse, Bon festival, Ha and the Bon festival in Trashi Yangtse.
Religion: Buddhism is practiced through out the country. Almost all the Bhutanese are Buddhist. In the south, most Bhutanese
people of Nepali and Indian origin practices Hinduism. Yeshi Gonpo or Mahakahala is the main protective deity of Bhutan, often appears in the form of Raven. Before the arrival of Buddhism to Bhutan, various forms of animistic religion such as bonism were followed by the people in Bhutan. However in some parts of the country, we can still witness these traditions and rituals being still practiced by minority groups. In 8th century Guru Rinpoche brought Buddhism to Bhutan. After this, Bhutan has become home to many sages and saints. Some of the key figures of the Bhutanese Buddhism are Kuenkhen Longchen Ramjam, Phojo Drukgom Zhigpo, Drukpa Kuenley, Zhabdrung Ngwang Namgyel and Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye. The official state religion of Bhutan belongs to the Drukpa sect of Kagyudpa, school of tantric Mahayana Buddhism, the Great Vehicle. It is similar to the Tibetan Buddhism, yet it has its own set of unique beliefs and practices. The religion in Bhutan is strongly supported by the all walks of life. Monks, nuns and gomchens (lay priest) play a very important role in the people’s daily lives. The monk body also includes monks, nuns and gomchens who are not part of state sponsored institutions. Bhutanese people are very religious and the importance of the Buddhism is evident in its every portion of life in the Bhutanese people.
A Spiritual Nation
Just as the kingdom’s history is characterized by religious landmarks, the influence of religion is highly visible in everyday life of the lay population. Bhutan is a spiritual nation. Hundred of sacred monasteries, stupas, religious institution, prayers flags and prayer wheels which dot the countryside provide a strong infrastructure and atmosphere for the teaching of their living faith. Both urban 
and rural Bhutan, religious ceremonies and rituals are performed here 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 relational festivities, coinciding with the season, are major events for the entire population of the year around. 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 region of the country, brought Hinduism which is regarded in Bhutan as being as close related to Buddhism.
