THE radio voice of captain crackles to inform that the snow
capped peak to the far left is Everest. Little right of it is Kanchenjunga .
As you soak in the sight excitedly, begins the most jaw dropping descent of
one’s life. The plane goes into the clouds and then swings left and then right
and then left. Both sides are mountains and the plane approaches the Paro
valley through sharp turning ridges. The quaint mountain villages and perched
monasteries greet with their dragon architecture. If the plane does not swerve
the wing span might hit the hills. Or so it seems. The landing at Paro International
Airport
***
Mountains and myths go together, be it Alps or Himalayas . If it is the dragon legend of Mount Pilatus
in Switzerland , Bhutan has its
demons that had to be cowed down. One of the oldest monasteries, the Semtokha
Dzong on the outskirts of Thimphu, was built in 1629 after a monk Zhabdrung
Namgyal subdued dragons atop the mountain and laid the foundations for Thimphu . Then there is something about mountain
architecture which connects the regions – from square homes with inclined roofs
to the flower arrangements in the balconies. The dragon motifs are the only
differentiators. The landscape ranges from breathtaking to out-of-this-world to
spectacular. You can make your choice. With only cars on the roads, Thimphu has a very European feel.
***
The mountain kingdom is a young democracy. And a reluctant
one at that. In a mock poll before actual elections in 2007, hundred per cent
of the populace voted for the monarchy. The king is still loved.
Sanctum-sanctorums of all temples have his picture along with the deities. The
present king, 34 year old, India
educated, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk has a commoner’s touch. People can
approach him directly once a week; he mingles with them often, lives in a small
house, and has married a commoner. His father the fourth king Jigme Singhe
Wangchuk abdicated in favour of his son in 2008. The occasion was marked by
both the transition to democracy and a special blend of coronation whisky,
aptly called K5. Wangchuk senior has four wives and commoners believe this
gives the king long life. Clearly kings are divine.
***
It’s a nation engrossed in prayers. You breathe holiness
here – monasteries, monks, prayer flags, even a holy tap on the way to Dochsla
pass that does not dry up even in snowy winters. Like in Hinduism, figure 108
is sacred. So you have 108 stupas at a monastery, 108 beads in the rosaries for
the monks, 108 volumes of Buddha’s teachings, 108 prayer flags that dot the
landscape. Monks and nuns constitute over ten per cent of Bhutan ’s population. Frame your
camera anywhere and one can not miss the red robe. That's why perhaps a monks-only washroom as well! And though Buddhism is the
State religion, monks are not supposed to vote as a marker of separation of
politics and religion. Bhutan
is perhaps the only country in the world where while the population of men (and
women) of religion is increasing, that of its defence forces is decreasing. At
its peak in 2003 when the mountain kingdom assisted India in chasing out north-eastern
insurgents from its forests, it had 5,000 men in uniform including army and police.
It has now come down to four thousand.
***
Like the Himalayas, India
looms large in Bhutan .
It was an Indian Brahmin turned Buddhist monk Guru Padma Sambhava alias Guru
Rinpoche who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th
century CE. He is revered next only to the Avalokiteshwara himself, and forms
the huge Thangka backdrop at the reception of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
inside Tashichho Dzong, the central government’s administrative headquarters.
In the present, from the roads built by Border Roads Organization to the Hema
Malini named bus riding on it – India can not be missed. Their new Supreme
Court is through an Indian grant. We bank roll up to 60 per cent of their
annual plan size, and yet somehow the results are better this side. May be the
execution is more honest. It is an all weather friendship as high as the Himalayas (to borrow from the Pak-China cliché!) But it
is no favor. China should be
ready to flush Bhutan with
funds and more the moment India
tightens its purse strings, and that would be dangerous. So even if the
relationship is not exactly bought, the money flow does keep it greased.
***
Only one moment worth quoting from the official part of the
visit. Prime Minister Tsering Tobgay interacts with a delegation of Indian
journalists. I introduce myself as representative of Times Now. His eyes dilate
as he comments he would be scared of us like every politician should be. That’s
some complement to my Editor-in-Chief. Only question is why a Bhutanese Prime
Minister should worry about an Indian anti-establishment channel. Next is Doordarshan journalist who adds he should be safe as he is from the national broadcaster. Tobgay is in good mood so rebuts by saying not if its the Bhutanese television. Nevertheless. Now I can claim to have shaken hands with at least two Prime Ministers of the world.
***
Youth in their national dress – the Gho – play dart game Khuru
in the meadows. Every hit of the Bull’s eye is a cause for celebration with
singing and dancing. People walk a lot. They also laugh a lot. They even age slowly. They are really
happy. Just one marker of how they do it – no one is allowed to buy more than
3,500 shares in any incorporated company, so that wealth is equitably
distributed. Bhutan
markets itself as a place called happiness. In reality it’s even subtler than
idyll. From the graceful innocence of monks to the joviality of its
people, the world can learn a lot from this little mountain kingdom. Shangri-La after all is no fiction.
