PATTERN IN CHAOS: November 2015

Colours, handicraft, happiness and a whiff of spirituality would be words to describe my cultural journey in Bhutan.

I am welcomed to the Bhutanese culture at our hotel with a performance of Thuenpa Puenzhi. This is popularly known as the Four Friend Mask Dance. It symbolises unity, co-operation and harmony.

Drametse Ngacham and Yak Chham are two other enticing and foot-tapping mask dances with bold, rhythmic moves.

Some of the following performances with mellifluous music and honeyed swaying are Dramnyen (dance with instrumental music), Zhungdra (oldest traditional dance) and Gelyong Gaki Zadbra (a folk dance representing happiness of the king and kingdom). By the end of it I am totally in sync with the euphonious music and with steady footwork I join the grand finale named Tashi Tashi. This Bhutanese folk dance is performed at the culmination of every cultural event. Here the audience hold hands with the performer to dance and soak in the flavour of traditional rhythm.

Shopping pattern in Bhutan has a strong focus on handicrafts and colourful trinkets. Whether it is street shopping at tourist spots or shopping at the Paro mall road, the shops are cosy, comfortable with smiling faces who are ever ready to help. I did notice that the tourist street shopping stalls did sell the trinkets at a better bargain than the established shops. Souvenirs and beaded jewellery start from a range of Rs 250 to over a couple of thousands. One would require a sharp eye to differentiate between run of the mill products and true Bhutanese handiwork.

In Bhutan you can shop for colorful masks, hand-woven bamboo items, wood carvings, stamps, silver, silk and bronze. Handmade paper products, Buddhist paintings and religious thankas are also popular shopping items. Weavers are seen in almost every house doing beautiful handwork. Original Bhutanese handweaving is expensive but totally worth it if the wallet allows. I must confess that most of my souvenir shopping has been through my camera lens and it has genuinely been a fulfilling experience.

The Phobjikha Valley, also known as the Gangteng Valley, is a vast U-shaped glacial valley. This expansive valley at an elevation of about 3,000 metres separates western and central Bhutan...

All of this and more was briefed to me by our guide Tenzing, during the wee hours of dawn before we left for Phobjikha. As the journey through the winding, bumpy, narrow roads began, the suprprise of the unparalleled, hypnotic landscape opened my sleepy eyelids wide.

The ride is a mesmerising spectacle interspersed with bumpy roads. As we leave Punakha behind we transit from a view of mountains laced with split-level houses to a panorama of natural green carpets. I see tall pine trees, grundgy mountain tracks and road workers braving inclement conditions to widen the limited sized roads.

We meet with a little adventure. Our journey is punctuated with a roadblock. Tall bulky trees have fallen to the ground and they block our path to proceed. Road workers furiously use wood-cutting machines to chop the fallen trees into smaller pieces and make way for us to move on. The mood of camaraderie is in the air. All who are stuck in this long snake-like traffic jam get out of their vehicles to help roll off the smaller pieces of tree to the corner of the road. Finally with little sweat beads on my forehead and a bit of pant, the travel continues. The last thing I want, is to miss viewing the valley where the endangered black-necked cranes along with other birds visit to make it their migrating home. It is also home for nomadic shepherds and yak-herds that I luckily catch a glimpse of.

A feeling of calm and zen engulfs as we approach the view of the valley. The mood is tranquil and undisturbed. Vast expanse of restful beauty and sparsely placed wooden houses maintain the undisturbed still.

These farmhouses have similar facades. They are mostly two storey high, white walls with wooden windows and long coridoors. Red chillies hang on these windows to be sun dried. They make for an essential vegetable in the Bhutanese cuisine.

Within the warm interiors of a farmhouse we are served with tea and a hot meal. Savouring the view of the poised landscape and biting into the steaming food, I eagerly look out of the window hoping to spot the black-necked crane.

Soon our guide informs us that the expected arrival of the black-necked cranes have been delayed. It is estimated to arrive only a couple of days later. Disappointed, I look out of the window and I see a genuine stroke of luck! A massive rainbow arching against the sky brightening up the valley and my mood.

Spectacular, dramatic, stunning are words that fall short to describe this experience. I quickly run out of the farmhouse to see the rainbow closely. It is almost a touch away and like a spell it disappears as fast as it had arrived. It leaves behind a cheerful mountainscape and a very dazzled me.

As I leave, I take back a feeling of bliss and a song hummning in my head.

Counting colours in the rainbow

when the sun has made the rain go
in all the colours I see above me
I count the blessings of someone who loves me...

On my way to Punakha from Thimphu the first stop is at the snow-capped Dochula Pass. Here the sun rays and mist play a temperamental game of hide and seek throughout the day. The charming Druk Wangyel Cafe is a warm teahouse nestled in the heart of Dochula Pass. After having soaked myself with the panoramic Himalayan view and nippy breeze, like all tourists I make a dash for the warm interiors of the cafe and a steaming cup of tea.

Rejuvenated with a sumptuous, piping hot breakfast, I head to Lamperi Botanical Park. The garden is organically landscaped with conifers and deciduous trees. Unusual colours of vivid flora and fauna are scattered forming a beautiful pattern. To add to its beauty, there are boating facilities and lovely rock gardens which make it a popular spot for family picnics.

After a drive of about 3 hours, I reach the most awaited landmark of Punakha, the Punakha Dzong. This Dzong is built at an elevation of 1200 metres above sea level on the confluence of the aquamarine Mo Chhu and Po Chhu rivers. This six-storey structure is the second oldest and most majestic Dzong in Bhutan. A dominating architectural flavour, intricate artwork, vibrant colours and happy smiles of the people visiting, make for an impressionable patterning of this space.

Rafting on this river is a great source of adventure sports. My friends who invested an attempt at it came back with praises for it.