Laya, a remote village in Bhutan

Laya is a remote village three days walk from a motor able road. People living here are nomads and rear yaks. During summer these nomads go higher up the mountains looking for good pasture. When the winter sets in and when the ground is covered in snow they move down to low lying areas where they can still feed their yaks.

Laya is a trekkers paradise. The breathtaking views and the enchanting people have left a lasting impression on the minds of the many.

Below are some pictures from Laya


Laya-cherub


weaving hats


high altitude flower


churning milk


Stairway to heaven


The silver meandering river



prayer flags on the mountain to please the dieties.


This must be a heaven


Houses in Laya



A bridge over a small river


Ferrying goods

Khuru, popular dart game played in Bhutan

Khuru is a favourite traditional game played in Bhutan. Its similar to dart but the size of the dart is bigger than the usual plastic dart with metal tip. "Khurus" are carved out of hard-wood and there is no restriction on the weight or the size to be played. To strengthen it metal-casing is done on the lower end. A "khuru" can weight anything form 150gms to about 300gms.

A team mate cheering his team


A follow through


Traditional folk dance on a hit on the target


This is the way we aim at the target.


The distance between the targets is about 30 meters and the target is almost 11 inches by 5 inches.

More than just the game its the spirit of the game which makes it lively. Teams sing and dance on each strike making the game even more interesting. Cheering and jeering is the part of the game.

There is no age limit or retirement age for any players. As long as one can throw it striaght and at the target one can qualify as a player.

Keeping Fit

Pictures from a gym in Bhutan


Checking biceps



Chest exercise




The time between 5 and 8 in the evening is considered to be the "most precious time" of the day according to some people. A hectic day in office is just over and one is out in the open breathing the fresh evening air. Its a time when most of my friends with a racket slung over their shoulders are busy rushing to a lawn tennis court or busy giving their best golf-shot.

I did the same till few years back. I either played soccer or indoor basketball. It was fun to play soccer early morning every Sunday with different teams. It was a good way to start a Sunday.

Now I go to gym thrice a week. Its a small gym with basic work-out equipments. We don't have a trainer and depend on what we read from books and information we get on the internet. In a way its fun to spend two hours here helping each other and talking about muscle and protein and fibers. We never realise until we start working out that we can actually become stronger every day. Our physical strength lies in our ability to strengthen it further.

I started initially with small weights, today i lift over 75kgs with my hands. I plan to lift more in future. My aim is not to compete in a body building competition but to stay fit and strong.

Preparing for the Meteor Shower on August 12, 2009

Our earth will pass through a stream of dusty debris from the comet Swift Tuttle. It will pass through the densest debris stream sometime on August 12 and will continue till early hours of August 13.

The cometary single burns on entering the earth's atmosphere often leaving a trail of light across the sky. On August 12 when earth passes through the densest part of the meteor we can see dozens of meteors an hour.

This meteors is believed to come from the constellation of Perseus - hence this phenomena is called Perseid.

No special equipment is required to see this event. Its a good opportunity for all sky-gazers.

If the weather is clear I will be posting some pictures taken of the perseid from Bhutan.

Phallic Tradition

Phallus painted on the wall of a house



Wooden phallus hung in my jeep

A clown holding a phallus during a festival

Wooden phallus hung on the four eaves or painted on the walls of the houses in the village is a common sight in Bhutan. No one knows when the phallus worship started in Bhutan. It’s believed; it started even before the introduction of Buddhism in Bhutan. Some attribute it to the bon tradition where object worship and sacrifices were common.

In Bhutan the phallus is an integral part of ceremonies ob

served by communities, commonly used to ward off evil spirits and counter evil. Be it a newly constructed house or a new purchased car. Wooden phallus of different shape and size are used

to ward off evils. Some even consider the phallic tradition to be a legacy of the saint Lam Drukpa Kuenlay (popularly known as divine madman, he refuted aga

inst dogmatic practices and taught Buddhism through his unrestrained sexual practices. He always looked for beautiful girls and good wine).

The inauguration of a new house is an elaborate ritual. Four huge giant phalluses are carved from a wood, tied together and put in a basket. The men folks on the roof try to pull the basket up while the women pretend to pull it down. When the phalluses are hung from the four eaves, scriptures are read and men and women sing and dance till the wee hours.

But contrary to the popular perception, the phallus has a world of meaning beyond its obvious symbolism to ward off evil influences.

The phallus, in essence represents a centre of male ego, and did not symbolize celebration of sex. The phallic symbol in the Bhutanese context does not denote domination of womanhood by man. In Bhutanese belief the phallus rather represents a worldly illusion of desires.

The phallus symbolism is losing its vibrancy in urban Bhutan. Now the urban dwellers feel it’s offensive and indecent.

Little Angels

We are the champs!!!


Friend in need.....

When the rain comes down...

..more than i can swallow

My hard earned meal.

I hate weekends and hate it even more when I have nothing planned. I twist and turn in my bed trying to catch some extra sleep i miss on weekdays. Every dot on the ceiling or uneven paint comes to live and invites me to the "wonderland". I lie there till i feel i can sleep no more.

This weekend was different as i was mountain biking to one of the remote villages some 50km to the south of Thimphu (capital city). I don't usually go biking as i work out thrice a week. But this time with few friends we plan to go to this place.

The trail leading to the village is just wide enough for a pick-up truck. To ride this dirt track is a daunting task. The ascent is steep and one side is a sheer cliff of several meters drop to a ravine below.

Puffing and panting we made it to the village by lunch time.

We visited a village elementary school and took some pictures. This village is a paradise at this time of the year.