Music

Bhutanese music includes traditional genres such as zhungdra and boedra, and a modern genre called rigsar. Folk music and dance (cham) gained prominence during the reign of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1652). Instruments like lingam (flute), dramnyen (lute) and chiwang (fiddle) date back to that time period. Drupka Buddhism and Buddhist music have influenced Bhutanese culture, like many folk songs and chanting styles are derived from Drupka music.

The modern genre of music in Bhutan became popular with the Bhutan Broadcasting Service and the band Tashi Nyencha who established the first recording studio in 1991, prior to which Bhutanese people primarily listened to Indian movie and pop music.  Rigsar which is the dominant style of popular music dates back to the late 1960s and was originally played on a dranyen (a kind of string instrument). The traditional dranyen was updated into the rigor dranyen for use in popular music. The rigsar dranyen has 15 strings, two bridges and an extra set of tuning keys.

The Rigsar’s popularity increased in the 1970s with the development of the genre’s modern form. By the end of 1980s the popularity of rigsar was declining until Norling draying , a very popular and profilic record label released more than 130 albums. With popularity of Norling, Bhutanese music has primarily been the rigsar genre with fusion elements from Western, Indian and Nepali music. New Waves (1996) by Suresh Moktan and Lhamo Dupka is the best-selling rigsar album in Bhutanese history. Jigme Drukpa is the leading Bhutanese musician and musicologist.

 

Photo Source URL: http://www.journeys.travel/images/countries/photos/bhutan.jpg

 

National Statistics Bureau and Department of Culture, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs. Cultural Industries Sector Development. A Baseline Report, Thimpu: Royal Government of Bhutan, 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjb-x_faPXM VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCGJx4sbl2M VIDEO

Art

Zoig Chusum, the thirteen traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan are unique and deeply rooted in the Buddhist philosophy.

 

1. Shing zo (Woodwork)
2. Dho zo (Stonework)
3. Par zo (Carving)
4. Lha zo (Painting)
5. Jim zo (Sculpting)
6. Lug zo (Casting)
7. Shag zo (Wood Turning)
8. Gar zo (Blacksmith)
9. Troe zo (Ornament Making)
10. Tsha zo (Bamboo Work)
11. De zo (Paper Making)
12. Tshem zo (Tailoring, embroidery and applique)
13. Thag zo (Weaving)

Shing zo (Woodwork)

For centuries, the beauty and uniqueness of Shing zo or woodwork has played an important role in the building processes of the dzongs and palaces, the temples and monasteries, houses, bridges and furniture.
 

Dho zo (Stonework)
Dho zo or stonework is an old craft which is popular throughout Bhutan. Fine examples of stonework can be seen in large Chortens or the stupas like Chorten Kora in Trashiyangtse and Chendebji. In rural areas, most of the Bhutanese houses are also made of stones even today.
 

Par zo (Carving)

In Bhutan, carving is done on various materials ranging from stone, wood and slate. Woodcarving can be found in masks, traditional symbols, bowls and cups, wooden sheaths or scabbards and handles for knives and swords, beautifully carved pillars and beams, printing blocks of wood and altars. Slate carving is another popular art and can be found in carvings of images of deities, religious scripts and mantras. Stone carving while not so evident has survived over the years in Bhutan. What survives of this art today are the large grinding stone mills turned by water and the smaller ones used by farmers at home, the hollowed-out stones for husking grain, troughs for feeding animals and the images of gods and deities carved onto large rocks and scriptures.
 

Lha zo (Painting)

Vibrant paintings are visible in houses, in temples and monasteries and in dzongs. The most common painting on the walls of monasteries, temples and dzongs are those depicting religious figures, including the paintings of images of Buddhist deities and saints.
 

Jim zo (Sculpting)

Sculpting or jim dzo is one of the oldest forms of craft in Bhutan originating in the 17th century. Clay statues, paper mache, clay masks and pots are examples of jim dzo.
 

Lug zo (casting)

Lug dzo or the art of casting includes wax and sand casting. In the past bronze was used for making containers such as cups, urns, and vases. Bronze was also used to make weapons such as battle-axes, helmets, knives, shields, and swords.
 

Shag zo (wood turning)

Shag dzo or wood turning is another ancient art tradition of Bhutan. Examples of this are bowls, plates, cups and containers from different types of wood. This is best practiced in Trashiyangtse in eastern Bhutan.
Gar zo (blacksmithy)
Gar dzo or the ancient art of black smithy is used to produce  farming tools and defense weapons including spear or arrow tips, crude axes, knives and swords (patangs).  Woochu in Paro and Barshong in Trashigang have their own iron mining resources in Bhutan.
 

Troe ko (ornament making)

The art of ornament is used to make ornaments out of stones like turquoise, coral or etched agate (zee) as well as silver and gold.
 

Tsha zo (bamboo work)

The art of bamboo weaving or tshar dzo is practiced mainly in Kheng Zhemgang and Trimshing Kangpara in Trashigang. Examples of this art form are- Bangchungs, palangs, floor mats and mats for drying grains, musical instruments like flutes, matted bamboo for roofs and fences, traditional bows and arrows.
 

De zo (paper making)

Traditionally, the art of paper making was confined for monastic purposes. Today, paper making is of great commercial value and is popular in Bomdeling and Rigsum Gonpa in Trashi Yangtse. Desho (paper) isespecially made from the bark of a plant known as Daphne (Deshing). The paper products today are mainly used for wrapping gifts and writing religious scriptures.
 

Tshem zo (tailoring, embroidery and applique)

Throughout Bhutanese history, the art of embroidery or tshemzo has played a very important role in the making of thangkas and other decorative clothes. The three main crafts in tailoring are: stitching clothes such as the gho and kira worn by men and women, embroidery (Tshemdrup) and appliqué (Lhemdrup) and the production of traditional Bhutanese Tsho lham (boots).
 

Thag zo (weaving)

Weaving is an income generating source which supplements the agricultural income for rural people. Weaving is done by women and rarely by male. The rich and complex art of textiles are embedded in the culture and history of Bhutan, and some of the finest weaving comes from Khoma in Lhuentse and Radhi, Bartsham and Bidung villages in Trashigang. Weaving is widespread throughout Bhutan, but women of eastern Bhutan are one of the most celebrated weavers of the country.

 

http://www.bhutan2008.bt/en/node/279

http://www.bhutan2008.bt/en/node/278

  Drama

Theatre in Bhutan has traditionally not been a distinguished art form apart from the performances in religious festivals such as tshechus. However, from the 1960s until today, scattered attempts have been made to develop theatre tradition based on traditional stories such as Gasa lami Singye, the Bhutanese equivalenent to Romeo and Juliet. In recent years, Thimpu based Happy Valley Youth Entertainment (in short Happy Valley, anedutainmet company) types of efforts are being made to use theatre and entertainment as a means for social change. Happy Valley is trying to help socially challenged young people (substance abuse, people with precarious family situation, etc.) to develop more self-esteem and stability in life. Moreover, under contemporary modernization and development process, modern aspects of theatre and entertainment have been introduced, which makes it difficult to sustain the already marginalized art form of theatre. Happy family tries to combine traditional theatrical elements in their work.

http://www.nomadit.co.uk/asa/asa2012/panels.php5?PanelID=1253

http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=22395

Dance

The mask dances (cham) date back to the 8th Century and are said to bring blessings to onlookers. The Royal Academy of Performing Arts was opened in 1967 and its traditions date back to 1954 to provide formal training for masked dancers and preserve the country’s folk dancing heritage. It is located in the northern part of Thimphu City.

Dances are grouped in three broad categories: dramatic dances that push morality, dances that purify and protect places from harmful spirits and dances that celebrate victories by Buddhism and Guru Rinpoche. Dances are accompanied by the music of cymbals, drums, large and small horns, conches and bells. Dance is considered as an extension of religious and social lives by Bhutanese people because the movement reflects their deep devotion, compassion, tolerance and harmonious living.

The dancers wear flowing, colorful costumes, and take on the roles of wrathful and compassionate deities, heroes, demons, the dead and animals. Their movements tell stories about history and fantasy and sometimes the choreography includes masked clowns, atsaras, who mimic the religiousdancers. In Bhutan, they are the only ones who are allowed to mock religion in a society that treats religious things with a lot of respect.

 

Photo Source URL: http://www.cafebhutan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BHUTAN-DANCERS.jpg

http://admin.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=53235

For more information: http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/06apa_uk.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QIHSnVxyWo VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD5YVZogvWU VIDEO

Films

First Bhutanese feature film Gasa Lamai Singye appeared in 1988 and Jigdrel was the first ‘block buster’ success followed in 1998. Motion Picture Association of Bhutan (MPAB) was founded in 1999 and has since then managed to create awareness around the movie industry in Bhutan and its successes and problems. On an average, 20 films are produced annually and popularity of Bhutanese films has increased in recent years. All films in Bhutan are made in Dzongkha language. MPAB participates regularly in the Asia-Pacific and SAARC film festivals, and this helps in promotion and demand for Bhutanese films in international market.

National Statistics Bureau and Department of Culture, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs. Cultural Indutries Seector Development. A Baseline Report , Thimpu: Royal Government of Bhutan, 2009.

Literature

The Bhutanese concept of literature refers to the general collection of texts like Rigney and Zhung, those texts that yield knowledge and have positive outcome. Bhutanese literature divides learning into five headings: grammar, dialectics, healing, the outer sciences and inner sciences that cover Buddhist doctrines and practices. These cannot be termed as purely Buddhist, but have been greatly influenced by its growth and influence of other cultures can also be seen. The corpus of Bhutanese literature mostly deals with the religious works but also conveys information on the social set up, the form of government and the economic life of the Bhutanese in general. These can be broadly classified as follows:

  • Chhoejung: literally means “origin of dharma

Food

Rice and chilies are central to Bhutanese cuisine. Bhutanses do not use spices in cooking their food, apart from chili and salt. In fact, chilies are considered as a vegetable and not just a spice. Rice is consumed with meat and vegetables. Red rice is part of every Bhutanese banquet and sometimes rice is flavored with saffron.

Cheese is very popular in Bhutan, especially Cow and Yak’s milk cheese. A dish called “ema dates

Costumes

 

Photo Source URL Link: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02025/bhutan-wedding_2025519i.jpg
In Bhutan, in order to preserve ancient customs from being influenced by the West, the government has made it compulsory for all Bhutanese to wear only their national dress in public. Bhutanese men wear a “gho

Archaeology

The field of archaeology is at its nascent stage in Bhutan. The Division for Conservation of heritage Sites (DCHS) under the Department of Culture (DoC) , Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs is monitoring and executing archaeological works in Bhutan. The first ever scientific archaeological excavation was executed in Bhutan by the DCHS in collaboration with Swiss Liechetenstein Foundation of Archaeological Research Abroad (SLSA) and Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Bhutan, under the Bhutan Swiss Archaeological Project phase I which resulted in excavation of Drapham Dzong.

Drapham Dzong Archaeological project spanned over three years from 2008-2010. The ruins of the dzong/fortress are situated in the Bumthang district in central Bhutan. The main fortress ruin is approximately 200m long and runs in north and south direction. Two fore-fortress ruin built at lower platforms supplement the main fortress. The dzong dates back to early 16th Century and is currently monitored by the DCHS office. The excavation of Drapham Dzong is one of the biggest achievements in the field of archaeology in Bhutan.

http://www.saarcculture.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=186

For more information: http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2011/01/bhutan-site-dated-to-16th-century.html#.UdE8QuemhJQ

http://bhutan.helvetas.org/en/activities/projects/archaeological_project_bhutan/

Heritage Sites

Tongsa

Tongsa is an ancestral home of the Wangchuk Dynasty, the last royal family of Bhutan. The Wangchuk dynasty controlled the country from the Tongsa Dzong till the time democracy was officially incorporated in Bhutan. It also houses some of the best shopping destinations of handwoven textiles.

Bumthang Valley

This valley is considered as one of the most sacred  religious destinations of Bhutan and has some of the oldest Buddhist temples and sacred sites in its vicinity. Natural sceneries and old forts add on to its beauty.

Semtokha Dzong

This is the oldest fortress/dzong of Bhutan built in 1629 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. Its name is derived from Simtokha (‘Sinmo’ meaningdemoness and ‘do’ meaning stone) and is considered to be chosen to guard over a demoness that had vanished into the rock nearby. It is about seven kilometers away from the main Thimpu town and now houses the School for Buddhist Studies.

Punakha Dzong

Pungthang Dechen Phodrang (Palace of Great Happiness) or Punakha Dzong was built in 1637 and is beautifully located between  the two rivers called Pho (male) and Mo (female) chhu (river). Many stories and myths are associated with this dzong. It was the capital of Bhtan till 1955 and the establishment of Wangchuk dynasty on 17th December 1907 took place here. The first National Assembly was also held in this Dzong in 1953 and it continues to be the winter residence of  Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot) and the central monk body. The war materials captured during the Tibetan invasion are kept in this dzong.

http://bhutan.saarctourism.org/

Bhutan Information Brochure. Tourism Council of Bhutan. 2008.