All about Language & Culture of Bhutan
Our country is rich in linguistic diversity. Officially we use Dzongkha, the national language and English as the official language. But most of the internal correspondences are done in Dzongkha. We have at least twenty different dialects in the kingdom. And the most amazing thing is the dialects are still richly used in the various pockets of the kingdom. The common dialect, now more popular next to Dzongkha is “Tshangla”, the eastern language and “Lhostshamkha”, the southern language. Many Bhutanese also can speak Hindi more fluently than expected.
As our official religion is Buddhism, 80 percent of Bhutanese are Buddhist. We have an overwhelmingly vibrant religious practice of devotion. Our government holidays are based mostly during the religious occasions. Our ceremonial conducts are brilliant, colorful, loud and very pious. People believe that a good deed begets good return.
Our beloved Kings are our living gods. The King and his father have always lived for their people more than themselves. We love to wear bright and colorful attires during celebrations and occasions. To eat together is a high value to bring the loved ones all together- share even a morsel of food in the pot. Doma, a quid of betel-leaf and areca nut along with a pinch of lime is a replacement of coffee or tea in other countries. People of all ages chew ‘Doma’ throughout the day. Even during any important occasions Doma is offered to the guests. It seems to heat up the body while cold and relax when tired.
“Kuzu zangpola”, is a general greeting to everyone – meaning ‘hope you are fine’. The cultural heritage of our land is baffling and breath-taking. It still is preserved very dearly. Beyond this, it will be an outstanding pleasure for the guests to explore more about other important cultural aspects of the kingdom.
With our very unique architecture, all the buildings in Bhutan look exquisitely magnificent. The paintings are rich in color and glamour and the abundance of the prayer flags adds on to the beauty of culture. The stupas in different shapes and sizes, for various occasions and implications are built across the country. Stupas are most integral part of Buddhism.
