Bhutan Bytes
Experiencing the Land of the Thunder Dragon in the bylanes of Bangalore
Years ago as I watched the movie “Lunchbox”, the protagonist talked about escaping to this mysterious country which is the happiest country in the world! Bhutan. I searched about Bhutan back then, made plans to go. Yet somehow they never happened. Shinier places lured me away as my neighboring country stayed quiet and calm, like its vibe.
The tradition of Bhutan is rooted deep in Buddhism. My research revealed a bunch of Buddhist monasteries in the city! I also looked into Thangka painting and did my own take on a Tibetan Goddess. It was an interesting week, full of insights and wow moments. It takes time for a place to transform you but as I read somewhere, To know a city you have to meet it halfway. This is my attempt at meeting Bhutan halfway. I have hopes that when I visit, Bhutan will meet me too.
1. Culinary Experience
Deepika Padukone once mentioned in an interview that she loves the dish from chillies and cheese and called it Achar equivalent. As a cheese lover and a chilly lover, I had high hopes for Ema Datchi, but the one that I tasted was like a cheesy soup. Too milky and bland. I had it with Tingmo, the cute-sounding Bhutanese bread. It was not bad, yet I would not order it again. Luckily, the Tibetan restaurant had Aloo Mimi (why do all dishes sound like cute baby nicknames) it was a chaat-like preparation of Wai wai noodles and I loved it, despite the high spice levels.
I went to Lama’s Cafe but there are a few others I discovered while searching - The Himalayan Restaurant, Yak Kitchen, and Teesta. As a person who eats Momos only for the chutney, I am not trying Ema Datchi till I actually visit the country. I am sure the cheese would be way different and the chilies might be different too.
2. Spiritual Experience
Bhutan is deeply immersed in Buddhism, and you can find traces of this spiritual practice in Bangalore. I went to the Dharma Bodhi temple which was closed at the time. My plans to attend a Sunday Dhamma meditation session at Maha Bodhi Society were also hampered by, umm, oversleeping.
I also thought about Sarnath and the Buddhist Stupas and temples I visited there. Such a tranquil, grounding experience. Read more about that here in my blog post.
Coorg has a beautiful Buddhist monastery called Namdroling and the second-largest Tibetan settlement in India after Dharamshala. I visited it a couple of years ago and was fascinated by the murals and the prayer wheels. Which is when I learnt about the Tibetan painting style called Thangka painting. In my list of experiences to try, learning Thangka art in a school in Pokhara, Nepal comes quite close to the top but till then I tried to replicate it to the best of my skills.
3. Cultural Experience
I picked the image of Manjushri, who is a bodhisattva in Buddhism, representing wisdom and insight. He holds a sword in one hand and a book and quill in another. A good reminder for me to write well! The image felt analogous to Devi Saraswati in a lot of ways and I enjoyed the long process of painting, very different from my 30-minute watercolors.
I read a book called “Butter Tea at Sunrise” which is about a doctor living in Bhutan for a year. While it offers a foreigner’s take on the culture and lives in the country, it forms an interesting and light read.
It is such a fascinating country - no traffic lights, Gross National Happiness, keeping traditions alive in the wake of modernization!
“I wondered what a traffic report from my commute during Bhutan’s morning rush hour would sound like, and laughed. The cow path is clean this morning. We’ve got Ap Khandu’s cows grazing by the fly-over, so it’s all clear to the Mushroom Centre with no cow patties. But you’ll want to watch the mud near the boys’ latrines—there could be some surprises—and be careful of that third rock as you make your hop over the brook. It’s a little bit wobbly this morning. You”
― Linda Leaming, Married to Bhutan
I wandered to Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad to take a look at the Himalayan paintings of the Russian painter Nicolas Roerich. It is a small but stunning collection. Transportative. And that is what I wanted. To stand in awe of these majestic mountains bordering our country, nestling Bhutan.
A week is enough time to calm my nervous system down and that is what each of the Bhutanese experience did for me. There is a concept in Buddhism called Anicca which refers to the impermanence of all things. I believe while we may come and go, with our petty little issues nature observes and absorbs. Something similar is echoed in the concept of “memory of water”
"Water has a memory, and the memory of water is a magical thing, filled with the emotions and connections it has gathered throughout time." – Masaru Emoto, The Hidden Messages in Water.
I have wandered within myself and in Bangalore in search of the magic of Bhutan but of course, there is no magic. Not because I am not physically in Bhutan, I am sure the ambience plays a huge role but also because I cannot actively invoke the tranquility.
I was able to find small glimpses of it in the warmth of people, in the patience of art, and grandeur of the Himalayas. One day, I’ll hike up to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, breathe in the crisp mountain air, and truly immerse myself in Bhutanese culture. But until then, I’ll cherish these little Bhutanese experiences in my own city.
See you next week in Africa—right here in Bangalore!