Culture of Bhutan

Bhutan is culturally rich and vibrant country. Being the last Vajrayana-practising country, Bhutan’s culture is deeply steeped in Buddhism although some sections of the population follow Hinduism and have their distinct set of cultural norms.

The Bhutanese landscape across the country is dotted with temples, monasteries, and prayer flags. Within these temples and monasteries reside hundreds of monks who keep both spiritual and cultural values of Bhutan alive. These seats of religious learning are also centres of religious activities, most notably tshechus or religious festivals. Tshechus feature a variety of flamboyant religious mask dances and secular folk dances. Tshechus are popular among the Bhutanese all ages.

Attending a tshechu is believed to cleanse one’s negative karma and keep worldly obstacles at bay. Tshechus are, however, not purely religious events. They also serve as an occasion for social gathering and family reunion. The Bhutanese dress their best and cook their most special dishes to be eaten on the lawns surrounding dzongs, temples, or monasteries.

For tourists, tshechus are the most visible manifestation of Bhutanese cultural and spiritual traditions. However, tshechus are but a small, although more tangible, part of the Bhutanese culture.

Bhutan is home to a unique intangible traditional culture observed and understood in a set of values. Having remained secluded for centuries, the B, mj, h,hlhk jh kh jkh come to be defined and shaped by values that are nonexistent or increasingly being lost in the developed world.

The reverence for life, respect for the environment, and the belief in the interdependence of the nature of things largely define the Bhutanese way of life. Therefore, foreigners find the Bhutan and the Bhutanese refreshingly different not only in terms of physical features, but also in terms of cultural, religious, and environmental values and way of life.

The Bhutanese today enjoy a wide variety of music, including English, Hindi, Nepali, and Tibetan, and new Bhutanese compositions that sound similar to any of the above music. But Bhutan has a rich tradition of folk music that best expresses the country’s character, beliefs, way of life, and spiritual traditions. Bhutan folk songs mostly dwell on nature, religion, harmonious coexistence, and the beauty and delights of life. In short, they celebrate the deeper meanings and yearnings of life as opposed to modern compositions that praise romance and the passing good feelings of youthful encounters.