Land Of Complete Bliss

 

Beautiful vales and mountains

Bhutan is small Himalayas Kingdom sandwiched between China in the north and India in south. Remained independent with rich culture and tradition intact since time immemorial. Its historic landmark would be as many great saints and scholars has introduced and spread Buddhism with numerous introductions of sacred place and hidden treasure. Many have tirelessly walked length and breadth of the country to spread the message of peace and contentment which lead to path of enlightenment.

Typical Bhutanese architectural desingned house

Many temple, monasteries and hermitage were generally located in mountain and hills top built and blessed by precious scholars and masters. Many treasures believed to be hidden by Padmasambhava in eight century and more are yet to be discover by Tertenpas( Treasure discover) with the passage of time. Performance of mask dance and ritual are common in every monastery where people attended to get blessing and empowerment as well.

People and nature through concept of interdependence is well conceived and respect which help each other in daily life. Numerous lofty mountains with pristine forest coverage feature amazing scenic beauty blowing sound of happiness.

Prayer flag spreading message of peace

Bhutan education system in ancient time was monastic and therefore students used to visits Tibet and India for learning monastic education crossing rugged terrain and thick forests. Now with establishment of modern education, we follow both system i.e education for all to nourish one with good skills and knowledge as to global standard. Where almost 80% of people are doing farm work as self subsistence farming system although steps towards commercial farming just beginning.

Music and Beauty

Music gives someone to express their emotional feelings, admire, love and whatever engrained in their mind albeit joy full or soreness. Different people will have different definition of music based on their own thoughts and feelings. Music in one way is art where one can showcase their talents, skills and ability to suits various forms of song which ultimately spread the message of peace, culture, adventure and anything one composed on it.

Music helps in easing tension if one at all is going through difficult times in his or her life by tune into their favorite musical rhythms with songs. It can also unite people in larger audience at same time especially during spotlight by various artists. One can also show nature and its surrounding beauty through music.

Many people says that anything like plane song, joke expression, movies and whatever actions performed without incorporation of music is bore and unpleasant. This clearly shows music is one of main ingredients in everything in our daily life and it has great potential to determine every contents of work.

Horror music signifies scenes of ghosts and spirits which brings everyone fear and tiresome. Sad melodious one brings kind of nostalgic feeling and sense of regret as that of missing golden opportunity over someone.

Music is everything like, friend, parents which ultimately guide one to joy or melancholy prior to one’s adoption and expression.

Cock And Culture

Bhutan being blessed with numerous scholars and great saints are endowed with rich culture and tradition. We had started open to outside world as early as 1960’s and now everything is in full stepping onto digital world. Bhutanese people don’t posses any watch to look for time during those days and that’s how adult male chicken (cock), had played the fundamental function of time in the past.

 Different people in different regions of the country have their own way of time observation based on cock voice chirping especially during early hours of dawn

People in the eastern region generally had notion that three to four rounds  of cock voice which normally sung with certain range is believed to be  welcome of dawn. People had maintained certain kind of time table where supposing first round for grain milling in traditional way and spontaneously for certain other household chore.  

 Some people will get early watering from distance pound, bamboo collection, weaving and some making cheese and butter through milk crushing in traditional Bhutanese container. So, all early works were performed as per cock sequential musical rhythms round of voice.

This types of voice observation and early work doing are just remain as history as it was replaced by many brands of watches today with the advancement of modern technology. Therefore, we don’t much bother on ancient style of looking time and even today rearing cock in villages is diminishing albeit forget about town.

In the past there were also believe that cock voicing during late dusk is bad omen and house of cock replying to tune of starter is very bad omen according to great grandparents.  So, it is very stunning to know how cock play vital social role beside key reproductive function to hen and therefore, its preservation as part of culture seemed vital.

A place of lofty vales and mountains

View of Laya

Laya village

Laya is incredible place enveloped with Jichudrakey and Tsherimgang Mountain (main source of Mochu River) located North West meandering towards Lingzhi, and Masagang, Tsentagang and Gangchentag and much gigantic snow capped mountains (main source of Phochu River located north east spiraling towards Lunana geog. It is located in an altitude of 3800 masl and has 197 household at the moment. One can really feel calm and peace with enormous joys and happiness away from hustling and bustling city. It may be tough and headache journey for beginner while starting way from Gasa, but one may naturally perceive peace as and when we are greeted by virgin forests with clean breeze whirling through every direction. People are migrants where they live Punakha valley with horses during winter and other days with yak in their hut with individual pasture land. 

August, September and October month is the time where their family members meet together main house at Laya transporting goods and services by horses (main mode of transportation) especially used by tourist from Gasa to Laya which is main source of their livelihood. Meanwhile, other source of income generation is through cordycep (Cordyceps sinensis) collection and through yak hard cheese (Chugo) sale.

Students of Laya Primary School

Mid September to 1^st week of October is the time period where every farmers harvest their wheat, barley and mustard as to used their tillers as fodder. One could see every farmer threshing these crops in front of their very house. The geog has one primary school, non formal education centre, RNR office and one branch office of Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP) office. The geog grow mainly Cole crops such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnip, raddish and etc. Every household grow this in less amount for their own consumption. Meanwhile, Laya remain one of the unique land of culture and its life style embedding with pristine natural environments.

A lure of Adventure

Bhutan is blessed with many great saints and scholars with rich culture and forest diversity. Many species of plants, animals and crop diversity were existed with abundance ecology and pristine environment. Many foreign visitors described the place as the abode of god or heaven to earth with immense joys and happiness.  The place that I have visited very recently echo absolutely beautiful and memorable and described as in the following ways.

Merak is officially two days walk from Trashigang Dzongkhag. There are two ways to follow like the one is from Rangjung through Chaling shongphu and other one through Khardung overlooking Phongmey village. Two ways meet at the beautiful place called Shebling a wonderful place where we can see many vales and mountains. Shebling is a grazing land where we can see lawn of grassland full of yaks surrounded by awesome environment. The moment we reach Shebling everything is silent and sometimes only sound one could hear is seldom voice of yak and its herders. One could meet many yaks with their individual babies grazing on the way and some with leech peak on their back especially if you are visiting around June, July and August months.  There are also yak herd house and big buzzing dog as care taker of the herd. As we walk continuously upward with alpine meadow environment one could reach place a mountain kind of Lhabtsa where one can take rest and follow downward path from there. Then we have to walk along the river bank and need to cross river more than five times. River its tributaries and distributaries are clean and very clear where one could really miss the sip. Then reached Merak village where one could see clustered settlements surrounded by river meander and lined up mountain. One could enjoy pretty landscape and environment with their culture and way of living. People out there very simple, interactive and magnificent whenever we interact with them.  Nomadic depend upon livestock mainly Yak,Zo and Zomo. They used to sell their cheese,butter and get maize, rice and other commodities in return.  The altitude is around 3000 to 4000 masl and snowfall start from the month of November till March. Yak herders remained in their yak herd and while only one or two people were living in the house during the period. Infrastructure like RNR, Community primary school, and one range office so called Merak Park Range under Sakting Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sambeykha geog is one of the remotest and farthest geog of Haa Dzongkha with four days of official work. Sambeykha is also called Sambey Aum. The geog has an area of about 432.8 Sq.Km (approx) and the altitude ranges from 1400 m to 2100 m above the sea level.   The farm road construction is on the way to Gakiling and Sombeykha. We had travelled up to Tegola and walked from there. The path meanders steep slopes fromn Tegola till the downstream river of Shebji village.  The area is covered by thick forest and one could never see sun of sky once started walking from Tegola downward forest to   the river before reaching Shebji. Then we have to walk upward to Shebji village once cross the river. Most of the office goer going for tour spent night at Shebji and started their next journey to Shava. The way from Shebji to Shaba is gentle slope and again downward moment from Shava till reaching another giant river stream. Meanwhile we have to walk again upward from the river stream and accordingly need to walk gentle slope pathway and finally land Sangbeykha geog center. Warm summer with heavy rainfall to cold and dry winters features their major climatic conditions. Geog has 85% of forest coverage with Sub-Tropical and Evergreen Broad Leave species. Bamboo, Cane Shoots, Ferns and Mushrooms are some of the non-wood forest products found in the geog. The soil is mostly sandy loam, clay loam, clay and sandy clay loam. Almost all the nice traditional crops of Bhutan were grown there with rich soil fertility.   Farmers out there cultivate buckwheat twice a year and the first cropping is start on last week of February to mid march and harvest by June end. The second cropping is done end of September-mid October and harvest December- January. 60% of the farmers cultivate sweet buckwheat and 40% bitter buckwheat. Vegetables like Chilli,Mustard green, Raddish, Pumpkins, Cabbage, Brocoli, Carrot, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Garlic and Onion. Paddy fields are lying fallow due to the lack of irrigation favourable soil for large scale paddy cultivation. The geog has total of five chiwogs and the geog is bordered by Sama gewog in the Northeast and Samtse Dzongkhag in the south. There are about 183 households and total population of about 1175. There is also a way from Sambeykha to Sibsoo which most of the villagers were still following its tract.

The places where people and nature relationship is enormous and the moment one felts were really unforgettable and rejoice.

Longing to repay a be -loved Father

Clear and  crisp was the sky that winter afternoon,
        I remember you sing a song beautifully,
You came by with herd of cattle in a cowshed ,
But the next morn as I played marble in the patio,
With your bamboo flute beside you lay motionless,
       No song came off from you or the flute.

While mother hugged and took me to other side from you,
        Pale faced I looked where you lay motionlessly,
               At six you left me very depressed;
               Burning is my mind to serve you,
               But it is not possible with you gone,
      This thought pains and pierces the core of my heart.

          With you gone chirping of birds stop too;  
           Sorrowful I become seeing other's fathers,
              Being orphan is sad and unlucky,
I conceal myself behind the thicket shading tears piteously.

             The past memories come flooding back,
              Your sincere advices and genuine care,
          The warm hugs whilst dressing every me every morn,
              Like calf sucking the  nourishing milk.

Oh, father! I cannot repay all those good deeds tinged with love,
               But I do pray everyday of my life,
In the belief that it will contribute to resting your soul in peace;
              Also in the belief that we get to be born again together,
           So that i get an opportunity to repay all your generous love.