Category: Bhutan

Bhutan is situated in South Asian and the country is surrounded by India, China, Nepal, Sikkim and Bangladesh. Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan and it is also the largest city of the country. Evidences show that the country was inhabited during 2000 BC. The early history of the country is unknown as the records on the history were destroyed after the fire ruined Punakha which is the ancient capital in the year 1827. In early 17th century, Wangchuk Dynasty was formed and the King Jigme Singye Wangchuck who ascended the throne in 1972 made some important political reforms in the country.

Now, the King is Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck who is the eldest son of the previous king. Bhutan is a constitutional democratic monarchy in which the King is the head of the state. Prime Minister is the head of the government and Chief Justice is the head of the judiciary system. Bhutan is one among the smallest economies of the world. The economy of the country is mainly depends up on forestry, tourism, agriculture and hydroelectric power sale to India. Around 80% of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture consists of animal husbandry and subsistence farming.

The population of Bhutan is 691,141 and the ethnicity of Bhutanese consists of Sharchops and Ngalops who are respectively known as Eastern Bhutanese and Western Bhutanese. Dzongkha is the official language of the country and it is the language of Ngalops. Sharchops are speaking in Tshangla language and English is used as the medium of instruction. Other languages are Nepali, Kheng, Limbu and Dzala. Majority of the population in the country is following Vajrayana Buddhism which is the state religion. Another major religion is Hinduism and other religions consist of only 1% of the total population.

Bhutan is considered as the paradise for tourist because of the mysterious Buddhist monasteries and temples and the unexplored forests, mountains and valleys. Paro Valley consists of oldest monasteries and temples of Bhutan. This valley is famous for its red rice cultivation on the terraced fields and houses the airport of Bhutan. Thimphu which is the capital city of Bhutan located in Sylvan valley. Trashi Chhoe Dzong or fortress of Glorious Religion is located in this city. Some of the tourist attractions of Thimphu are Memorial Chorten, Weekend market, National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Changlimithang Stadium and the School of Arts and Crafts.

Bumthang Valley is the nation’s religious hub where you can find several ancient Buddhist temples. Black Mountain National Park is worth visiting where you can see several animal and bird species. Satkeng Wildlife Sanctuary is also a wildlife preserve with both flora and fauna. Taktshang monastery is an excellent monastery which was built on a cliff should be visited and the history of this monastery is related to Guru Padmasambhava. Another tourist spot worth visiting is the Kyichu Lhakhang, an oldest and sacred shrine of Bhutan. Kyichu Lhakhang consists of twin temples which were built by two different people of the Royal family. One was built by Tibetan King and other was built by Queen Mother of Bhutan.