Bhutan And Swiss Soccer Match

Football (soccer) is one of the favourite sports in Bhutan. People enjoy playing and watching it. Since the introduction of western education football has become a part of a school co-curricular activities.

On September 27, 2009 a friendly match was played between the Bhutan national team and the visiting Swiss team.

The match was not as expected. The visiting team was weak and the match one sided. Initially the Bhutanese team in nervousness could hardly tackle the ball. Their moral booster was Passang 's (striker) easy gole in 20 minutes of the first half. With 1-0 lead the Bhutanese team had full control of the game. Then a succession of goles were scored by the Bhutanese team. Bhutan won the match with 5-0 lead.

Few years back Bhutan and Monserrat the last two FIFA ranked countries played a similar match and Bhutan come out victorious thus climbing the FIFA rank.

Below are some pictures from today's event:


Swiss team spectators


Match in progress


Bhutanese team


Army band

Strong Earthquake Rocks Bhutan

A strong earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale according to United States Geological Survey rocked Bhutan at around 3 pm on Sep 23. The epicenter centered 180km east of Thimphu in Mongar, a small town in eastern Bhutan.

The earthquake destroyed houses and monasteries. Lhuntshi Dzong, one of the oldest forts in the east has been severely damaged by the quake. The total estimate of the damaged is yet to be accessed by the district local Government.

Four labourers working on the road lost their lives when boulders and trees came hurtling down the hill killing them on the spot. A severly injured woman who was taken to a hospital succumbed to her injuries there taking the death toll to 5 people.

In Trashiyangtse, a small town in the east people ran out of their houses when they felt the tremor. While only few people in Thimphu actually felt the tremor.

Earthquake of similar magnitude was felt in early 20th century.

Bhutan lies in the earthquake belt making it vulnerable to earthquakes of even bigger magnitude in future.

Bhutan village festival

Bhutan Festivals are unique and a great time for tourists and the locals alike. Its a time when the villagers leave behind their back breaking work and gather to have fun and cleanse their sins.

Festivals in Bhutan are characterized by color, gaiety, enthusiasm, prayers and rituals. Foreign travelers are struck by the scale and multiplicity of Bhutanese festivals that have evolved in the society. Fairs and festivals are moments of remembrance and commemoration of the birthdays and great deeds of gods, goddesses, hero, heroines and saints.

Hongtsho, is a small hamlet about 20 km away from Thimphu (capital city). Apples and potatoes are the major cash crop here. This hamlet has a population of about 500 hundred people. They have a small community school, an out reach clinic and few shops.

Every year on the 15th day of the seventh month on the Bhutanese calender a small festival is celebrated here to please the protecting deity of the hamlet. People make offerings in the temple and receive blessings. Mask dances and folk dances are performed by the villagers.

Below are some pictures from the festival



Enjoying their lunch


Young monks witnessing the festival


remembering their yester-years


mask dances


A dilapidated house, people still live in it.


mask dance


festival clown entertaining the crowd


The festival ground.