Phuntsholing Zangtho Palri at Night. May people there be always protected. 


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Drinking, a to-do-away culture

It would have been an embarrassing for the Bhutanese team lead by the Health minister attending the 68th session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee meeting in Timor- Leste’s capital, Dili or the Bhutanese citizens should be. It may have been the wise though of the reporter but the kuensel read “ Tobacco use is culturally accepted in Timor Leste, just as alcohol is in Bhutan” . They are comparing our nation’s culture to what tobacco has done to theirs. So is it not time for us to learn? Bhutan, a small country, cannot afford to learn from repeated mistakes but be swift to discover from others’. Drinking may have been culture but the time has come for us to rethink our culture. During those days, drinking was culture, yet people rarely got sick form alcohol. The amount of drink was subsidized by the manual work they had to do. They had to work in the field, defend the crops against the animals, walk, carry and fetch. In short, everything was physical and ma...
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Luck and the Kharam Shing

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 Luck is what we think we deserve to have every time but it is otherwise. People seek interference of seen and unseen forces in hope to have the tinniest fraction of luck. Luck, in laymen term can be defined as absence of bad things happening. according to Chophel (2018),  Kharam means ‘together,’ reflective of the event’s communal nature. It is believed to have evolved from a Bön ritual, and includes a particular wooden structure marked by a phallus. The lucky phallus (Image:Google) In Bhutan, there is a special way to drive away evil and bring luck; having a kharam shing around. It is a phallus craved from wood. The size and the wrathfulness can vary from place to place. Sometimes it is painted on the walls of the homes. The idea may be taboo for the west but it serves a purpose here. According to Kinga. (2005, p.157), kharam shing offsets evil influences and empowers people. It is a common sight to see traditional houses decorated with the kharam . The culture is more e...
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Tharnang Lhakhang

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Tharnang Goenpa (Lhakhang) was established by Gelong Jabthangpa (Wangpo) around 19 th century. The place where the lhakhang stands is believed to have been blessed by Lam Jangchu Tshendru, the root teacher of Trongsa Penlop Jigme Namgyel (Father of First King of Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck). The present Goenpas is believed to have been built by Gelong Jabthangpa, whose descendants still owns the Goenpa. The lama lived in the village which lies at the base of the hill. Every morning at about 3 in the morning, when the lama offered his prayers, he saw sun shining on the hill where the Goenpa today stands. So, one day, the lama visited the place with some of his students and blessed it with a small stupa built with stones. Tharnang lhakhang It was during the lama’s pilgrimage to Trongsa that he met with Trongsa Penlop Jigme Namgyel. It is said that Jigme Namgyel sought advice from the lama on his decision to become a monk under the lama. However, the lama told him that he would need time t...
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