Bon, Buddhism or both – What do we Bhutanese believe?

While we in Bhutan may be Buddhists in faith, it seems that we are more Bon in our daily rituals. In the past, because of our lack of understanding of Bon, we simply relegated it to the villages (of earlier Kuensel article written by Rinzin Wangchuk), where animals were sacrificed and Yul lhas worshipped. But …

“Water poisoning” kill Yaks in Bumthang:

Every year on December, Bumthang's estimated 5,000 yaks are beginning the descent over 1,000 metres to the winter grazing grounds in the lower valleys. Educating Yak herders is one of the preventive measures against "chuh dug" But some of the animals will not complete the journey, having fallen prey to what is known as chuh …

Yak Herding – A vanishing way of life

Once the mainstay of the Haa valley, its numbers are now on the decline Yak Herding: For Kesang, 59, of Bji gewog in Haa, handling the yak, an essential source livelihood for nomadic communities in the high mountains, is becoming less of a hassle, because of a rapid decrease in its population over the years. …

Haap chugo – highland special – Dusty hardened cheese for sale

If you are going over to Haa, friends and family would expect you to return with a string of chewable 'bones'. The 'bones' are actually smoke dried chugo (hardened cheese), traditional Bhutanese candy, known throughout the country as Haabey Ruto because the chugo is extremely hard. Shaped like thick square coasters with a dark brown …

Butter churner – Necessity leads to farmer’s innovation

Bhutan When 44-year old Ugyen Dorji of Ngala village in Trongsa got a loan and bought some jatsham and jersey cows, he faced a big problem - his herd of cattle produced a lot of milk.He did not mind the quantity of milk since products from it fetched him a monthly income of around Nu.11,000. …

Dwindling demand for yak butter

Of the numerous taxis that zip around Paro town, two are driven by yak herders of Soiyaksa in Tsento geog, Paro dzongkhag. The yak herders sold their land and yaks and settled for a more urban life-style in Paro valley several years ago. One of the mains reasons for switching from herding to cabbying, dzongkhag …

Bumthang: A new role for the nomads

To secure the border by maintaining their territorial identity. There was a time when nomads of Choekhor, Bumthang, trekked for five days with their yaks to a place called Choekong-la, a serene flatland bordering Tibet. There they encountered nomads from across the border, who had travelled for a day with their yaks. While the herders …

The practice of herding yaks may soon come to an end

A village, once synonymous with this domestic animal, now bids farewell to the last of them (and hails a new breed) Shingkhar, Ura, Bumthang: The practice of herding yaks may soon come to an end in the Shingkhar valley of Ura, Bumthang, with the last herd of yak in the village waiting for their new …

Layaps do things differently now

With their newfound affluence, the highlanders' winter lifestyle has changed as well. Migration: Although the almost ancient ritual of nomads of Laya descending to the warmer valley in Punakha every winter continue even today, what has changed is the way they do it. From makeshifts, they have moved to imported camping tents, and from rudimentary …

Layaps more vulnerable to STD, HIV/AIDS

The small Layap community of a little more than 800 people that live in the northern borders of remote Gasa dzongkhag are at enormous risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS, according to study report by the health sector. "All the risk behaviours that increase HIV transmission are highly prevalent within the nomadic community," …

Laya-Gasa: Layaps

A decade ago, the semi-nomadic yak herders Layaps called their home be-yul, the hidden land, where Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal first entered Bhutan. Sitting at 3,800m above sea level on the lap of the 7,100m Masagang, one of Bhutan's 20 spectacular peaks, Laya had little contacts beyond its confines, some of the only exposure being an …

Tshangla

POPULATION: Population total all countries 145,000 (138,000 in Bhutan) ALTERNATE NAMES: SANGLA, SHARCHAGPAKHA, SARCHAPKKHA, SHACHOPKHA, SHACHOBIIKHA, TSANGLA, MENBA, MONPA CLASSIFICATION: Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Himalayish, Tibeto-Kanauri, Tibetic, Bodish, Tshangla Tshangla, the name of an ethnic group who speak Sharchokpa-lo, has become more like a name of the language than ethnicity in modern linguistics with many scholars (van Driem 1998, Andvik 1993, …

A glimpse into the Monpa community

The Monpas have been pushed to the hinter-land of the remote Black Mountain forests today but they were here before the founders of modern Bhutan built dzongs in the valleys of Paro, Bumthang and Thimphu, says a study on the Monpa community, conducted by two Sherubtse College graduates under the research grant of the UNFPA.  …

Horses and vehicles replace yaks for Layaps

Recent developmental activities in Laya and change in lifestyle of Layaps have not changed its age-old practice of migrating to the lowlands in winter and returning home by spring. More than a decade ago, Layaps depended on yaks to move to the lower lands. Many made sure to travel before monsoon. Pem Tshewang, 50, from …

Layaps say their youth are dropping out of school

But there is no data to substantiate the claim Education: Cordyceps has come as a blessing for highlanders but it is also seemingly proving to be a disadvantage to the youth. While there is no data to substantiate the claim, many Layaps in Gasa say youth from their locality are dropping out of school to collect …