TIME Style&Design: Travels Through Bhutan

2 minute read

When I first visited Bhutan, I was all of 7 years old. My memories from the trip are, at best, vague. I remember the long, tedious bus ride from the Indian border to Thimphu, and I have some recollection of a ceiling—possibly in a monastery—painted with dragons and other fantastic creatures. What I don’t recall at all is the astonishing natural beauty of this Himalayan paradise, the grandeur of its forts and palaces, the serene calm of its people. Such things are lost on little boys.

Happily, the best things about Bhutan have not changed a great deal since my youth. The gorgeous vistas, grand ‘dzhongs’ and graceful people were all in abundance during my visit this summer. To travel through the country, from Thimphu to Bumthang, Punakha and Paro, is to be treated to a succession of jaw-dropping panoramas of mountains, valleys and rivers, punctuated by fabulous man-made landmarks. (Yes, there are still dragons on the ceilings!)

My enjoyment of these was heightened by the knowledge that so few people get to enjoy them: Bhutan receives fewer visitors in a year than New York City, my home, gets every day! One consequence is that Bhutanese have not grown blasé of tourists: there is a genuine warmth toward, and curiosity about, visitors. Many of my interviews were topsy-turvy: I ended up being the one answering questions!

But Bhutan is not some magic land trapped in time, even though people frequently compare it with the fictional Shangri-La. It is a country evolving from a monarchy to a democracy; the first elected government is just four years old. It is also embracing, with appropriate caution, the trappings of modernity. Young people favor jeans and t-shirts over the traditional robes, the karaoke bars are full of customers belting out Bollywood numbers, and although major international retail chains are absent, one ingenious local businessman has named his grocery shop “Eight Eleven.”

Photographer Bharat Sikka captures Bhutan’s evolution in this series of images from our trip together.

Bobby Ghosh is an editor-at-large at TIME. Read his full story from Bhutan at TIME’s new Style blog.

Bharat Sikka is a Delhi-based photographer. See more of his work here.

All photographs taken in Bhutan in July, 2012 Paro Taktsang, known as the Tiger's Nest, is an ancient Buddhist temple perched 10,200 ft. above Bhutan's Paro Valley.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Kado Tshering, bodyguard to Bhutan's previous King, outside his home in Thimphu.Bharat Sikka for TIME
A view of Thimpu, Bhutan's capital.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Masked artist perform for festivals known as Cham's in Paro.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Tashichho Dzong is a Buddhist monastery and fortress on the northern edge of the city of Thimpu. The Dzong is the seat of government and the headquarters of the clergy in the capital.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Dongka, a student, returns home after school in Punkaha town.Bharat Sikka for TIME
A Bhutanese girl dressed up for a fancy dress party plays outside her house in Paro.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Kinga, 32, participates in an archery competition in Punakha.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Farmer couple Lendup and Sangay sell apples on the highway that links Paro and Thimphu.Bharat Sikka for TIME
A village boy on his way to play soccer.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Nyima, 86, in her kitchen in Paro.Bharat Sikka for TIME
New buildings in the district along the Babesa express highway seen from Simtokha road, Thimphu.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Sonam Wangchuck, a student, in Paro.Bharat Sikka for TIME
View of Mount Jomolhari from the air. The Himalayan peak straddles the border between Tibet and Bhutan.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Mynak Tulku, a Buddhist scholar, outside the Amankora hotel in Thimphu.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Buddhist Prayer flags around the Bhutan Broadcasting Service tower in Thimpu. BBS is the national radio and television service.Bharat Sikka for TIME
At karaoke bars in Thimphu and Paro, you can sing yourself, or pay professional singers and dancers to perform for you. Rinchen is a professional dancer who performs for about $2 a song. Bharat Sikka for TIME
Young boys spend their time playing pool and snooker around the outskirts of Paro.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Many young Bhutanese, like Tshering, in Paro, now prefer modern clothing to the traditional robes.Bharat Sikka for TIME
Karma Wangdi, a retired Government servant, rests next to the Punakha Dzong, Punakha.Bharat Sikka for TIME

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