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A taste of Bhutan in all its vibrancy
A photograph of a Bhutanese household by Serena Chopra.
THIS IS a taste of India's neighbour, the little mountain kingdom of Bhutan. Celebrating the vibrant and rich culture of the country is the Festival of Bhutan being held at The Full Circle in Delhi's own Khan Market.
Inaugurated by the Ambassador of Bhutan, Dago Tshering, on Friday, the nine-day festival brings images of the beautiful country, its handicrafts and cuisine. Displayed in the bookstore's cafe - Cafe Turtle - the photographs capture the diversity and spirituality of the country. "In my collection, I have tried to represent the culture and values of Bhutan. It is so untouched and I was amazed to find how people had retained their culture. Perhaps that is because they have opened up only recently. They got cable TV as recently as 1999 and it was only in 2003 that mobile phones could be seen in the Capital. I don't think there are many countries like that!" says the photographer, Serena Chopra.
For Serena, the journey into Bhutan was one of self-discovery as the beautiful country drew her deeper into her first love, photography. "I went there over two years ago and have been travelling all over the country. I have stayed with the people and interacted with them. This is a country like India with a rich cultural heritage and spirituality. But the difference is that in Bhutan, spiritual life actually translates into the everyday life of the people. That in itself is a great message," says the photographer.
Though it's the colours of the mountain kingdom that appeal to this photographer, the entire exhibition is in shades of black and white. "I think it is such a colourful country that colour just doesn't say it all. That is my personal perception though! I think to capture the soul of the country colour doesn't matter," says Serena. "`Personally, I also like working with black and white and that's why I choose this medium''.
Apart from Serena's collection, during the festival, Cafe Turtle will serve traditional Bhutanese delicacies such as cheese momos, putta (buckwheat noodles with vegetables) and ema datse (chillies and cheese) with red rice. Also on display and sale will be Bhutanese handicrafts like prayer bells, traditional woven textiles, stupas and gold plated statues of the Buddha.
"The festival of Bhutan is in continuation of Full Circle's efforts to making their Bookshop a hub of activity revolving round literature, culture and the arts in their various forms,'' says Priyanka Malhotra of Full Circle.
By Anjali Malhotra
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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