Ethnically Unique

The Brokpas speak Sharchop, a different language to that spoken elsewhere in Bhutan – more noticeable to visitors on Bhutan treks, they dress uniquely. Brokpa people are easily recognised by their woven red jackets, often detailed with stitched animals, and curious black yak hats. These hats have five spidery legs, designed to channel rainwater away from the wearer’s head and body. As befitting the name Brokpa, which can be translated to mean ‘nomad’ or ‘herder’, the people remain semi-nomadic yak herders, relying on the animal for clothing, food and transport. For anyone with an interest in minority ethnic groups and the preservation of traditional ways of living in an increasingly modern, homogenous world, Bhutan treks in Merak and Sakten are a must.

Aum Jono and the King’s Demand

Like many Himalayan peoples, the Brokpa have a story of their origin. They moved to Bhutan many hundreds of years ago – according to them, this is because they once lived in Tibet, until a conflict with a ruler. This king demanded that his people remove the top of a mountain because it blocked the sun, covering his palace in shadow. One woman, Aum Jono, who did not think this ridiculous order should be obeyed, told her people that it was far easier to remove a head than a mountain-top. The Brokpas agreed. After killing the king, Aum Jono led them to safety and prosperity in eastern Bhutan. She is now revered as a protecting deity, with a festival held in her honour.

Brokpas and the Yeti

Anyone planning to go on Bhutan treks will surely have heard of the Yeti. To the Brokpas this creature is called Megay, and yak herders to this day report encountering Megay in high, thickly forested altitudes, typically when they have pursued a straying yak. According to their remarkable tales, the Megay consumes bamboo shrubs, is white or light red in colour, and smells of garlic. The Megay is not a curiosity, as it is to Westerners, but a guardian deity of remote mountainous regions – and the Brokpas accordingly treat it with respect.

Looking for Bhutan treks Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who run Bhutan treks and tours. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.

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Bhutan is a country where evil spirits and mythical deities are as much a part of daily life as eating and drinking, and on Bhutan tours you’ll also see the people wearing their national costume at work and home. This is a country that will astonish you with its beauty and enchant your imagination with its ancient culture and beliefs.

National Memorial Chorten

Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan, a place rather neglected by conventional tourist routes. A popular sight for Bhutan tours is the striking National Memorial Chorten (multi-tiered stone monument) which is shaped like an urn with an angular waist tapering to a golden spire. It was built in dedication to the popular third king, known as the father of modern Bhutan, and has numerous statues and pictures inside representing Buddhist Gods and tales. Outside there are prayer wheels around the walls which are drum-like cylinders on spindles, decorated with Buddhist script and designs and often encased in the archways of a wall. Spinning the wheels helps visualise Tantric prayers, sending the good wishes depicted on the wheel out into the world. They should be rotated in a clockwise direction, and you should also walk around the Chorten in a clockwise direction because walking anti-clockwise around such religious monuments angers the spirits.

Dzongs and Monasteries

From Thimphu, Bhutan tours tend to take you to the former capital at Punakha. Here you’ll find the temple of Punakha Dzong, a pretty white-walled and red-roofed fort. The Dzong is set against the background of rolling hills between the banks of the Mo Chhu and the Pho Chhu Rivers. The windows of the Dzong fortress are set in intricately carved wooden frames that might look at home in the Swiss Alps.

Dzongs and monasteries are characteristic features of Bhutan. These are sprawling and complex buildings traditionally constructed to spiritual specifications rather than architectural design, where a holy man determines the dimensions of the building.

One of the most famous monasteries in Bhutan is the “Tiger’s Nest” Taksang temple close to the large town of Paro. It is perched high on a mountainside shelf, six hundred metres and two hours’ hike up from the valley floor for those on Bhutan tours. The Taksang temple was once a place of meditation for the second Buddha, who was called Padmashambava. Legend has it that Padmashambava was born into the world as a small child, emerging from a lotus blossom. He then travelled to Bhutan, over the Himalaya, on the back of a flying tigress where he defeated five demons, who were opposing the spread of Buddhism in Bhutan.

Myths and Legends

Padmashambava’s story may sound outlandish to western ears, but not as strange as the commemoration to Drukpa Kunley that you may encounter on Bhutan Tours. Drukpa Kunley was a 15th Century Buddhist teacher, later referred to as “The Divine Madman,” who possessed magical powers of exorcism in his genitalia. He used his prowess to defeat demons, and so many houses now display murals or phallic icons (equivalent to gargoyles) which are symbols of fertility and used to scare off evil spirits. This is just one tradition in a remarkable culture that will grab your imagination and make a memorable holiday.

Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who have provided Bhutan tours for over 20 years. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.