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The happiness quotient

PHOTO: ASHRAFI S. BHAGAT

telling a tale A Chorten in Thimpu

Our aircraft lands in the valley hemmed in by high mountains. Adjacent to the airport, a sparkling stream gently murmurs its way down. The sky is brilliantly blue with a few wispy clouds. The cold nip caresses the face as we disembark, and the feeling of being in paradise is the initial response to this breathtaking scenario.

Welcome to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, the mountain kingdom nestling in the Himalayas, and to the town of Paro, situated 50 km from the capital, Thimpu.

The drive from Paro to Thimpu is visually exhilarating. The snow-capped mountains gently sweep down the emerald green valley. The blue and chir pines, elms, oaks and fir-like guardian sentinels majestically fill the slopes with shades of every conceivable green.

As the eyes travels across the valley floor and the slopes, dotted here and there are the farm houses made of brick or stone and finished with white-washed plaster. Adding to the scenario are the little rivulets and mountain streams that sparklingly gurgle their way over rocky terrain and polished stones and pebbles.

As we approach Thimpu, the skyline becomes dense, with clusters of housing colonies uniformly constructed in traditional design, a translation of wood into reinforced concrete, a metaphor for Bhutan’s transition from tradition to modernity.

The exteriors are redolent of bright and contrasting colours, featuring mythical iconography to signpost it as Buddhist. Our hotel shares the same traditional exteriors, but the interior is plush like any modern hotel.

The art and architecture of Bhutan is shaped by its religion — mainly Mahayana Buddhism, as well as Hinduism. The sacred architecture here is the chorten or stupa, which contains the relics of the Buddha. Interestingly, it is possible to see three different types of chortens — the indigenous Bhutanese design, as well those derived from Nepal and Tibet. These religious structures are dense with mythological and folk tales validating the existence of the mountain kingdom.

But it is the Dzongs or the fortresses, that are ubiquitous here. These are strategically placed for security and protection, either on a high hill or near the river in almost every town. The Dzongs serve a religious as well as secular purpose.

They contain administrative offices, a monastery and prayer hall with a statue of the Buddha. The largest of these is found at Thimpu, and is known as Tashichodzong. Thimpu also contains a Memorial Chorten built in 1974 in Tibetan style, to honour the memory of the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. Tourism in Bhutan, which has developed in the last decade, is concentrated mainly on the Western side, where the towns of Thimpu, Punakha, Paro and Wangdu are situated. These towns contain the chortens and the dzongs.

Paro, the only entry point by air, houses the national heritage of Bhutan, comprising textiles, armoury, thangkas, household articles and natural wealth of flora and fauna, preserved with sanctity in a three-tier Dzong designed as a conch shell.

Bhutan offers variety to its travellers — there are Nature treks, mountain biking, bird watching, festival and water rafting tours. . Spring is the season for these activities, when the land is carpeted by colours from roses, rhododendrons, blue poppies, laburnum and flame of the forest.

The melting snow replenishes the frothing rivers for water sports, and the mountain air is thick with the music of diverse species of birds.

The spectrum of colours in Nature is reinforced by the traditional sartorial attire of the Bhutanese, which is equally bright and kaleidoscopic.

The magical mountain air is salubrious and rejuvenating, offering a mystical and spiritual experience.

Exhilarating in the permanent line of snow peaks, this small kingdom has as its premise gross national happiness. This is what makes a trip to this mountain kingdom such a memorable experience.

FACT FILE

How to go

You’ll have to travel via Kolkata. Take the train to Siliguri and drive to Phunsholing, the base town, or fly directly to Paro on Royal Druk Airlines.

Permits

Within Bhutan, one can travel by car but a guide is a must, and necessary permits have to be obtained.

Documents

No visas are necessary. Valid documents are a passport or a voter’r identity card. Indian currency is widely accepted

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