Skip to main content

Festival on the rooftop of the world dedicating to Bhutan’s exotic National Animal

The journey through the roughest of the nature can get was worth given the grandeur of the Takin Festival 2011. The carnival held at Lunguthang, a suitable plateau above Laya village at an altitude of 3800 metre above sea level was the highest any such festival could go. Nonetheless, the festival harnessed huge success, both from service provider and client’s perspectives.

"The chill of the thin Lunguthang mountain air didn’t dissuade the eager spectators of the festival"

The chill of the thin Lunguthang mountain air didn’t dissuade the eager government officials, private representatives, local communities and foreigners alike from indulging themselves in the gala festivity. Some have walked more than a week to reach the carnival ground. They’ve traversed conquering mountains and vales albeit aggravation by the harsh and merciless summer weather. But propelled by the burning desire to witness the splendor of the festival, they’ve inched to the Lunguthang. The members of the communities have been equally and eagerly awaiting the D-day.
Layaps performing their traditional dance during the festival
After formally launching the fair with Marchhang ceremony, the Director of Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS), Mr. Karma Dukpa in his welcome address, besides extending his warm welcome, introduced the park to the guests. He also relayed the message of Hon’ble MoAF Minister of his regret for not being able to join the festival. He added, “Our Hon’ble Minister has always shared his personal concern of ensuring the positive livelihood of the highlanders.”

Mr. Kezang Wangdi, Director General of Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) who was the chief-guest for the occasion praised the place for being the land blessed by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. He counted himself lucky to have had the coveted privilege to visit the place where all natural and cultural heritage are intact. He asked the natives to continue taking care of such rich and unspoiled environment and cultures.

"The festival is to help natives continue taking care of  rich and unspoiled mountain environment and culture"

The first day of the Takin festival saw the opening of the different stalls showcasing information and technologies that are very much relevant to the highland farmers. The stalls were put up by different departments and agencies both within and outside the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests such as Research and Development Centres, National Post-Harvest Centre, DoFPS, National Mushroom Centre and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The day also witnessed opening of many traditional games such as dego (a traditional Bhutanese game wherein somewhat circular stones that can fit into a person’s palm is thrown at a certain distance where a point is marked by a stick pegged into the ground), Khuru competitions among the guests (a wooden dart thrown to a decorated wooden target), Soksum competition (a stick pointed on both sides thrown to a decorated target).

The uniqueness of the festival was demonstration of yak tethering and Wortha by the yak herder. Wortha is a rope woven out of yak hair which is used to throw stones at yaks to assemble them or drive away yaks and predators. The cultural program by Layaps stretched into the late evening of the day.

The exhibition stalls remained opened for the second day flocking with eager officials and farmers, while dances and traditional games kept on happening on the sidelines. The wrestling competition (wrestling is a game played usually among men to show their strength and fighting skill), Colourful Shazam Cham (stag dance which portrays the subjugation of the Wind god by Guru Rinpoche), performing of Genzhey (unique dance introduced by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the 17th Century to the people of Gasa) demonstration of Layaps Aulay (Aulay is a unique social networking song sung only by people of Laya and is celebrated once in a year for about a week. People get to visit each and every house but women hide their identity by covering up their whole body with clothes) were the new inclusion of the day.

The tug of war competition between different groups winded up the festival before finally awarding the winners of the different events with prizes by the chief-guest. However, the cultural programme continued till as with every successful event, it ended with rounding up for Tashi Lebey. The community members ignored the evening harshness of the Laya weather to watch the documentary films.

"The festival is dedicated to the significance, importance of Takin - the National Animal which is found in their summer habitat of Tsharijathang" 

Mr. Phuntsho Thinley, the Chief Forestry Officer of JDNP summed up saying the festival was the huge success in the way that it fulfilled all the objectives of initiating such grand event. He said, “Officials on walk could get the clear picture of the field realities of the park and also interact with the communities which will be translated into favourable plan and polices. He added that the festival also helped communities make incomes through sale of yak and other local products to the foreigners and guests”.
The Takin festival was organized by Jigme Dorji National Park under DoFPS of MoAF with sponsorship of Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB). It was the first time such festival was held and will be an annual feature.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Long, long, long journey to Education

“Root of the education is bitter but the fruit is sweet” no one would know about it better than Kado. The fatigue of having to toddle to the school, fever of unending exams, the torture of having to burn the midnight oil, dozing in classes and the stern rigors are hard to endure, few even give up on the way but many endure it with utmost determination and commitment, because deep inside everyone knows it pays later. “Root of the education is bitter but the fruit is sweet” no one would know about it better than Kado Kado in the tender age of 12 is negotiating the lazily meandering footpath along the steep mountain. His school bag, full of books, pulls him back. His black naughty boy school shoe is all soiled, indication of how many times he has trudged that same footpath. He is on his way to the primary school in his village, almost 5 kilometers away. He has to make sure he is in the school before morning social work starts; else he gets penalized. Unlike the students who reside nearb
Post a Comment
Read more

Defining Tsa-Wa-Sum in One’s own Perspective

If I am asked, I would boldly answer, “The Tsa-Wa-Sum is “Gyeb, Gyelkhab and Meser”, (King, Country and People). But not everyone knows about what tsa-wa-sum is. Hence, when the superior ask them, they are left to conceive their own tsa-wa-sum. Once a meeting was convened by the Dzongdag. In a large congregation of illiterate rural people, the Dzongdag thundered, “do you know what tsa-wa-sum is?” “Can anyone from the crowd tell me?” The crowd went to pin drop silence and no one seems ready to answer. Are they scared of Dasho or no one has the slightest idea what it is? Suddenly, a Ngalop man sitting in the last bench, for whom Dasho is hardly visible, stood up. With his head bowed low, he answers, “The three tsa-wa-sum are Ngalops, Sharchops and Lhotsampas”. “This is because they are the three race in Bhutan” Dasho went into bout of annoyance but before he fired the man, another Lhotsampa (Southern Bhutanese Man) supplemented, “the three tsa-wa-sum are Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) Royal B
1 comment
Read more

Eternal Enemies

The Cats and Dogs are often adopted by the people in the metropolitan as pets. They go pretty good as pets since they are known to be endearing animals. Some set of folks have their paramount love and passion for these animals. But back in the village, these two creatures are mainly spared space in the home to shoulder their own responsibilities. For instance, the cat is entrusted with the job of dwindling or keeping at the sea bed, the number of rats referred to as naughty rodents in the village. And the dog cannot keep eating what the owner provides and sleep. At night, they have to escort the owners into the corn field and keep barking to keep away, the lurking night’s ambusher (deer, bears, porcupine, and wild pig etcetera). So, I see no overlapping of their right to food and duties. But, many might have surely taken the notice of these two four legged animal never tolerating each other’s presence. One fine day they meet but await a big confrontation. The sight of one another inv
2 comments
Read more