February, 2008
The Himalayan flight
A flight to Paro from Delhi is a most exhilarating experience. It provides spectacular, almost mid boggling views of the Himalayan peaks, viz. Mt. Everest, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, Nuptse, Lhotse and several others. Some of these are the highest in the world. As the plane approaches Paro, one can see the ... [more]
The Healing
His eyes suddenly fluttered open. It was the incessant ring of the telephone on his beside table that brought him awake. He picked up the phone and listened. "O.K. I'll be there in a few moments," he said. He waited fro a while for his heartbeat to settle down: sudden ... [more]
The forgotten ruins of Drabai dzong
It was an unusually warm and sunny day in July. Occasional patches of fluffy cottony clouds drifted in the blue sky as we walked up the valley of upper Choekor in Bumthang on our way to the ruins of the fifteenth century Drabai dzong built by a chieftain popularly known ... [more]
The Bhutanese Woman has come a long way
Some thirty years ago, government jobs were purely male domain, no women would be found aspiring for such a career. Today after thirty years of modernization the kitchen is not the only place you'll find a woman any more and more women are joining the workforce, exhibiting their potential in ... [more]
The Ani and the Migoi
Dangbo..o..o Dingbo..o..o past the deep forest, clinging onto the rocks on the side of the mountain was a cluster of five huts which were occasionally used by meditators as a hermitage. It now happened that one year an ani or nun was the sole occupant of these hunts. She lived ... [more]
Splendour of Phobjikha Valley
Phobjikha, one of the few glacial valleys in Bhutan is a winter habitat of the rare and endangered black-necked cranes. Called thrung thrung in Dzongkha, these birds arrive in Phobjikha from Tibet in mid-October and return in mid-February. Their arrival heralds the end of harvest season and migration of farm ... [more]
Sha Gogona Gouda Cheese – A community enterprise
A community-based rural enterprise has started producing Gouda cheese for the first time in Bhutan. Every month, a model dairy in Sha Gogona produces 300 kg of Gouda cheese which is sold in the market outlets in Thimphu, Paro, and Wangdue. The community members are keen to venture out in ... [more]
Pastoral bridges – A fairy land
Quaint little bridges are a vital part of Bhutan's landscape. In a rugged mountain terrain, they provide the only access across the tumbling rivers and streams that flow through deep valleys. Most of these are made of wooden planks and often without any protective railings. Others are suspension bridges that ... [more]
Making Apa Happy
"Hurry up!" Tashi called out to his brother Kashi. "The goat must not have returned and Apa'll be waiting by the door. I bet we're in for a good thrashing today." But Kashi paid him no heed. He trudged behind his elder brother with weary halfhearted strides, stopping every now and ... [more]
Love beyond the Grave
He woke up to the distant thunder. A flash of lightening cleaved through his window pane. The wind whistled as it swept through the leaves and the trees bent and groaned. All this while the skies wept rain and sent a fine spray to wet his face. He rose and shut ... [more]