Bhutan – “A Simple Life”

The sun, Foliaged by the clouds sliding under the mountains that loomed over Thimphu, The capital of Bhutan, the land of the thunder dragon. One corner a love struck couple walked along the pathway displaying affection through the eyes and, Few monks with betel stained teeth smiling at the photo clicking tourists. A Human Traffic signal (policeman) waving cars through on a so called busy intersection. One street, A theatre SUV’s, taxis, restaurants, hotels and shopping complexes, A simple maze of streets, and even simpler business philosophies. This would epitomize the true reflection of Bhutan.

The zone a pub opposite the bus stop serving great food and playing dire straits, the om bar a lounge filled with people enjoying a drink and the occasional smoke, A seasons cafeteria serving great Italian and continental food, the rice bowl a place with scrumptious momos and Thukpa. Thimphu best describes the current state in Bhutan. It captures the essence of a country that is attempting the impossible: to leap from the Medevial period to the 21st century without losing its balance. This task seems to be going quite successfully though. The television and exposure to international lifestyles does not seem to have affected the spiritually calm Bhutanese. Till date this tiny country, ‘a real dream’ has survived in impressive isolation, a population of 7 lacs wedged in between mountains owned by India and China. Bhutan had been closed out from the outside world by deliberation, in a race to keep and sustain its deep rooted culture. The country had no roads, no electricity, no motor vehicles, no telephones, and no postal service until the 1960s. Even these days, its mesmerizing landscape evokes a feeling of a science fiction time warp, ancient temples perched high on mist-shrouded cliffs; Dzonghs forts surrounded by unconquered peaks rising above deep blue rivers and lush green forests.

Bhutan’s population half of whom are under 22 years old are exuberant and want to explore the world outside. A large section of the people seemed to have studied abroad or are going to India (especially Delhi) to study. But the surprise being that an even larger proportion of them also wanted to return and live in their home land. A two faced coin which always seems to land on the same side. The cultural ties of the people of this country seem so deep rooted and strong it acts like a magnet attracting the opposite pole. This seems to be answering the worlds questions that how can a society maintain its identity in the face of the flattening forces of globalization? How can it embrace the good of the modern world without falling prey to the bad? And can there ever be a happy balance between tradition and development?. Bhutan seems to have answered the world for now. Since its advent of television in 1999 and with the democracy implemented 2006 by the monarch being contested by the citizens, Bhutan seems to have turned a blind eye to enticing sinful seeds of globalization and planted its own seeds of happiness in its world.