BHUTAN - DRUKYUL

 Bing Crosby sang, "Those far away places with strange sounding names...are calling, calling me".

A place, not far away albeit with strange sounding names, had been calling me for quite some time: Bhutan or Drukyul as the Bhutanese call it. Druk means 'thunder dragon' and Yul means 'country', so it is the country of the thunder dragon. Strange because its people are so peaceful and content! It is just two hours' flight away from Delhi; it takes longer to get to, say, Kochi. A visit was always at the back of my mind but somehow, never materialised. 

At our Course lunch in March this year, some of us were chatting away when I aired my thoughts about wanting to visit Bhutan. General Ved Malik, former Army Chief, immediately offered to help out in organising with the support of the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) based there. He asked me to make air bookings and give him the dates.

So I booked seats for Akhila and myself departing Delhi on the 18th and returning on 23rd April and informed Ved. Thereafter, officers from IMTRAT got in touch with me and finalised our programme.

The only direct flight to Paro, international airport of Bhutan, is by Drukair, Bhutanese National Airline, leaving Delhi at 4.10 in the morning. A night of no sleep, but the flight is worth the sacrifice as it skirts the Himalayan range at close quarters. Weather was clear and we saw one snow-capped peak after another including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga. 

Paro airport is nestled between mountain ranges named Three Brothers and the pilot announced that the visibility was low and not safe for landing. We circled the airport for about an hour when the pilot announced that he was now low on fuel and would attempt to land before it got worse. So he banked to the left and flew tilted for some distance before levelling out just before landing with a thud and applying brakes to the full. I was reminded of a landing on an aircraft carrier and it was quite an experience but apparently, business as usual. I learnt later that pilots have to be specially certified to land at Paro airport.

We were met by the IMTRAT personnel and after a quick immigration process, proceeded to the Mess overlooking the airport and Paro chhu (river) flowing beside it. Over the next two days, we were to get many close views of aircraft taking off and landing at the airport.

In the afternoon, we drove to Paro market for shopping and coffee at the popular Mountain Cafe. Immediately, we were struck by the exemplary discipline of the people of Bhutan. There was total silence on the roads and over the next five days, we didn't hear a car horn even once. There were no traffic lights or policemen in sight. The driver would keep his eyes wide open for pedestrians and if he saw anyone intending to cross the road, he would stop and wave at the individual to carry on. No one seemed to be in a rush and there were smiles and courteous bows all around.

The local men are always in the national dress of Gho and Kera. Gho is a knee-length cloth tied at the waist with Kera which is a woven cloth belt. Women wear an apron like long ankle-length dress called Kira. Bright colours, intricate patterns and embroideries add to the charm and grace of the ladies. People are proud of the national dress and I don't remember seeing any local wearing anything else like shirt and trousers.

Another striking feature is the construction of the buildings. Wood is the main material and traditionally, no nails or iron bars are used. The sloping roofs are brightly coloured, similar for a particular cluster of buildings. Multiple small windows with spiritual paintings from one end to the other adorn the exterior walls.

All these factors along with courtesy, smile and pride contribute towards making Bhutan a happy country and, according to many, the happiest in the world. In 1972, the 4th King of Bhutan coined a term 'Gross National Happiness' (GNH) and declared it more important than Gross Domestic Product. The main domains of GNH are Psychological Wellbeing, Health and Good Governance. By these measures, Bhutan ranks on top of the world and many countries have been known to seek its counsel on how to achieve 'happiness'.

Back to sightseeing, I must confess that we gave perhaps the most famous site of Paro, Taktsang Dzong or Tiger's Nest Monastery built in 1692, a miss. Too much climbing and not recommended for old folks! So we were content glimpsing it from a distance. 'Dzong' means a fortress-monastery which due to its high location and architecture served as a stronghold against enemies in the past. Presently, most Dzongs play a combined role as monasteries and administrative offices. We were able to visit Paro Dzong, a high point of Bhutanese architecture, as it is more accessible located comfortably below Taktsang. At night, the building is brilliantly lit and is visible all over Paro.

Ta Dzong built as a watchtower in 1649 was next. It now houses the National Museum including displays of famous Bhutanese masks and natural wild life of the country.

Drukgyel Dzong, a half hour drive from Paro, is another monument on a height. Again, it is difficult to climb but we could go fairly close up to its steps where there is a small hutment housing a giant prayer wheel with 'mantras' written on it. The wheels called 'Lakhor' are an integral feature of Buddhist temples and are meant to be rotated by hand which as you know is one of the traditional ways of praying in Buddhism. 

Devotees also carry small hand-held wheels named 'Mani' while walking around Buddhist relics or temples and on long journeys.

Our Paro sightseeing was completed with a visit to Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples. 'Lhakhang' means 'the house of gods' and Bhutan boasts of more than a thousand of them, one for almost every village and mountain top. The one at Kyichu dates back to the 7th century with additions over the years, the last one a golden roof in 1839. Apart from idols and Lakhors, temples display multi-coloured prayer flags, blue for sky and space, red for fire, green for water, yellow for earth and white for air. 

White flags on clusters of tall poles can frequently be seen in open spaces as it is believed that their fluttering by the wind spreads blessings and happiness all over the countryside.

On 20th morning, we took the road from Paro to Thimphu, a distance of 50 kms and about an hour's drive. The road is good but narrow and typically mountainous with hairpin bends and steep slopes. An artistic wooden gate heralds the entry to Thimphu, capital of Bhutan. We proceeded to the IMTRAT Mess situated in the centre of town.

That evening we visited the famous Buddha Point which has one of the largest Buddha statues in the world measuring 51.5 metres in height. Installed on top of one of the highest mountain ranges around Thimphu, it overlooks the city with the sitting Buddha in golden bronze benevolently seeming to convey his blessings of peace and happiness to all. 

The view from Buddha Point is fascinating as one can see the whole city, the river Thimphu chhu and the extensive valley. The statue is hollow and one can enter it. The inside holds 125000 miniature Buddhas 8 to 12 inches tall. As someone commented, the Buddhas far outnumber the 100,000 residents of Thimphu!

Our driver then took us to Devi Panchayan Mandir close to Buddha Point. It is the only public Hindu temple in Thimphu and is a fairly recent gift from the Bhutan King to the Hindu community.

The next day we embarked on a long trip to Punakha about 85 kms away. Our first stop was Dochu La pass, the highest point at 3100 metres. The view from there is supposed to be exceptional but as happens with these heights, there was fog and mist obscuring the view. There is also a Dzong there but difficult to climb, so wiser counsels prevailed. But there is a beautiful cafe just below the Dzong where we had a welcome cup of coffee. On the other side of the road, is a Memorial with 108 Chorten (Buddhist shrine) stupas built by the Queen Mother to honour the Bhutanese soldiers who were killed fighting rebels in 2003. 

We resumed our journey down the long and winding road to Punakha and its Dzong which is located at the confluence of two rivers, Mo and Po, which then merge to form the Punakha chhu. The Dzong is accessible from two sides, a road or an ancient wooden bridge, and we chose the latter. Punakha Dzong is an imposing citadel and one of the oldest built in 1637. It has had its share of fires and earthquakes the latest being a quake in 1897. Rebuilt, it looks strong and pretty. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan till 1955 when the seat of government moved to Thimphu. After a good look at the Dzong, we were on the road back to Thimphu enjoying the scenic drive.

On our final day in Thimphu, we started off with a visit to the oldest Dzong which has survived in its original form in Bhutan, Simtokha. It was built in 1629 and is just 5 kms from Thimphu. Located on a prominent ridge, we had been sighting it frequently on the road to Paro and Punakha. It is now home to the Dzongkha Language Learning Institute.

Closer to the city, we saw the Tashichho Dzong originally built in 1641 but vastly redesigned in 1965 as the Main Secratariat building and the Throne Room of the King. Next on our list was Changangkha Lhakhang, a 12th century fortress like temple where the priest asks you to throw a pair of dice and nods in approval when you do but does not tell what your numbers signify! We then went to the Takin Zoo, home to Takin, the national animal which has the body of an antelope and a goat's head. Our final stop was the National Memorial Chorten built in 1974 to honour the third King, as a monument of peace and prosperity. The stupa with a high pyramidal pillar crowned by a crescent moon and sun is brilliantly lit at night and visible at long distances.

A good night's sleep and we headed back to Paro airport to catch our flight back to Delhi. As Akhila had the window seat on the flight to Paro, I claimed it this time to get a ringside view of the Himalayas but the aircraft took an inner route and my effort went in vain.

And guess what was the first sound we heard on getting out of the Delhi airport- shrieking car horns!

It was an unforgettable visit and Akhila and I will always cherish its memories. Our sincere thanks to the IMTRAT team of Lt Col Dharmendra Yadav, Major Ankit Agarwal and Subedar Vikram Singh Negi for organising and guiding us to see the beautiful country. And, of course, how can we ever thank enough Ved, the General, the driving force behind this wonderful trip which was like bringing heaven on earth.

Tailpiece: On our return to Delhi, we were going through the immigration process with a middle-aged official. I have always found these people to be very officious and curt and was expecting the same treatment with the guy mumbling something which, with my hard hearing, I was unable to understand. Finally, I figured he was saying 38-38 and I guessed he was talking about my year of birth. I nodded and said, yes, it is 1938. He stamped my passport, extended it to me and as I was leaving the counter, said, "Sir, any advice for young people?" I was stumped by the question but somehow the words that tumbled out of my mouth were, "Keep faith in God...Stay happy!”

Bhutan effect?