Dorji Dema the first female archer competing among men is one of the 18 contenders for the best archer’s title in the on-going Paro open archery tournament.
She made it to the top 18 after hitting 22 kareys, including three bull’s eyes and two dobjeys in the 45 rounds. Her team lost in the quarterfinal.
Hundreds of people came to witness the top 18 archers’ shootout at the Paro archery range yesterday. She managed to hit nine kareysincluding two dobjeys in 15 rounds securing the 8th position. Choki Langkong took the first position after hitting 16 kareys in 15 rounds.
All top 18 archers are those who managed to hit the highest number of kareys in 45 rounds during the league round.
Dorji Dema said she has gained confidence, experience and knowledge about archery, especially in counting the points.
“As we play with different teams and players, it helped me build a network.”
She said that one of the women who never played archery bought a bow and asked her to teach her play archery. Two of her friends have also asked her to inform them if there are any archery matches so that they could form a team and participate.
“I am happy that I have inspired women to play archery,” she said.
Tournament organiser Ugyen Dorji said that, to enter in the top 18, an archer has to hit above 27 kareys in the 45 rounds. “However, Dorji Dema being the only lady, we decided to give her a chance to compete for the title.”
Ugyen Dorji said he has promised to give her a special prize. “The condition I made was the number of kareys she hit in 15 rounds.”
All spectators at the archery range came to witness the female archer competing for the best archer. “More than 30 percent were women and all came to cheer for Dorji Dema,” he said.
This 17th-century Bhutanese monastery is ensconced in Buddhist legend.
Gangteng Gompa.
Gangteng Gompa is a historic monastery in the Black Mountain region of Bhutan. Built in the early 17th century, the monastery was established by Gyalse Rigdzin Pema Thinley, the grandson of the canonized Bhutanese “treasure revealer,” Pema Lingpa. Today, Gangteng Gompa is the largest Nyingmapa monastery in Western Bhutan.
Buddhist mythology recalls the narrative of an ancient guru who hid terma (sacred treasures of Buddhist wisdom) for select terton (treasure finders) to reveal in the future when the time was right. The terma were hidden for their protection so that the terton could transmit Buddha’s teachings through the generations should his knowledge ever be lost or destroyed.
Pema Lingpa, the grandfather of the monastery’s founder, was understood as an incarnation of that ancient guru. Following a series of revelations, he astoundingly unearthed over 100 terma across Bhutan in the mid-1470s. Rendered “King Terton,” Pema Lingpa made a pilgrimage to the imposing Black Mountain range, where he envisaged one of his descendants would build a monastery.
Gangteng Gompa was established in 1613 by Pema Lingpa’s grandson on a spur in the Black Mountains called the Gangteng Sang Nga Chöling, which translates to “summit for the teaching of the dharma.” Local timber was used for the temple’s beams, doors, pillars, and windows. Delep, a guardian deity, supposedly created a landslide in the mountains for better access to stones. A team of community artisans embellished the space with exquisite technicolor detail.
The monastery was restored between 2002 and 2008. Conservators worked to preserve the temple’s original detail with the addition of over 100 new pillars. Upon the temple’s completion, it was re-presented as Gangteng Sangngak Chöling, and consecrated by the ninth Gangtey Trulku, who is considered the current incarnation of Pema Lingpa.
Know Before You Go
On November 12 of each year, Gangteng Gompa hosts a Crane Festival to mark the annual arrival of black-necked cranes from the Tibetan plateau. Hundreds of cranes, which are sacred in the region, return to the monastery to roost, thought to bless the space by circling it three times.
When Land of the Thunder Dragon calls, you answer. Bhutan is definitely on any travelbug's wishlist. Indians are lucky for no visa is required to visit Bhutan and all we need to carry with us is either a passport or a Voter Identity Card. Those who are entering by land are required an Entry Permit which one can get from the border town of Phuentsholing. This Entry permit is valid only for Thimphu, Paro and Phuentsholing. Visitors who wish to explore further can get a Route Permit from the Royal Govt. of Bhutan Immigration Office at Thimpu. DO NOT think of travelling on Saturdays, Sundays and any Govt. holidays because Phuentsholing Immigration Office will remain closed. Phuentsholing is a 4-hour drive from Bagdogra Airport and 3 hour 45 minutes from Siliguri. You can even take a direct bus from Kolkata, run by the Royal Bhutanese Government (daily 7:30am and 1:30pm), to Phuentsholing. Once you reach the border town, there are plenty of local buses that will take you to Thimphu.
Why Visit Bhutan
Why not? Bhutan is popular for its monasteries, beautiful landscapes, culture, traditions and food. A visit to Bhutan is incomplete without a visit to Taktsang monastery, also known as Tiger's Nest.
The much-awaited launch of Six Senses Bhutan offers a new circuit for wellness lovers
Six Senses Hotel in Punakha, Bhutan.
Bhutan has a new pilgrimage of sorts in the circuit of five lodges that Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas is set to launch between January and May 2019. The mountain kingdom’s pristine scenery will be matched by the hotel chain’s wellness offerings in Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang.
Chorten Ningpo at Six Senses Hotel in Punakha, Bhutan
Six Senses Thimphu, located within apple orchards and pine groves, is the largest with 20 lodge suites and four villas; doors open by January 1, 2019. Six Senses Punakha—nicknamed the flying farmhouse for its setting amid rice fields—and Six Senses Paro, at the site of 12th-century ruins in a valley, will open by February 15, 2019. The Gangteyproperty, in the winter home of the elegant black-necked cranes, and theBumthang outpost in a pine forest, are the most intimate with eight lodge suites and a villa each, and are slated to launch in May 2019.
Lodge Suite bathroom at Paro, Bhutan.
Each lodge will have a spa and wellness centre and immersive local experiences. The Thimphu lodge has a hot stone bath and its Prayer Pavilion overlooks the valley and the 52m-high Buddha Dordenma statue. Guests at Six Senses Punakha can bicycle down to the revered Punakha Dzong, picnic riverside and dine on paddy terraces. The Gangtey resort has a glassed-in area to observe black-necked cranes swoop into the valley. The Paro property is next-door to a 15th-century monastery, and also has a 17-acre sustainable village adjacent where guests can learn about traditional agriculture practices and pick ingredients for a cooking class. Beekeeping and strawberry picking await at the Bumthang resort. Six Senses Bhutan offers a 14-night journey between all its five properties with visits to palaces, monasteries and breweries.
Six Senses Hotel in Thimpu, Bhutan.Doubles from $1,010/Rs72,870 per night across properties.
Wildlife affects rice production in Bhutan’s Rhadi
TRASHIGANG, Bhutan (Kuensel/ANN) – It’s harvest season in Radhi county, Trashigang, and the rice bowl of the east has turned golden. Group of farmers are seen threshing paddy on blue-orange tarpaulins spread along the terraces.
Dechen from Tongling village is busy storing the grains into sacks and transporting it to her house some 300 metres from the field.
For the 50-year old, this would be the final harvest for the year.
She scans her one-acre field before settling down for a quick break. “This is it. I was expecting the harvest to be the same as last year but it was a difficult year with wild animals including monkeys and porcupines constantly attacking the field.”
She said she harvested some 600 chagdhi (a measuring container) of paddy, which is about 1,200kg of rice last year. “We had a good harvest then. I was expecting a similar produce this year,” she said.
Farmersarmers in Radhi, Trashigang, harvest paddy. – KUENSEL/ANN
However, without a proper irrigation system and the increasing incidences of human-wildlife conflict, the harvest is likely to decrease.
She said farmers have to mostly depend on monsoon during transplantation since most irrigation canals are washed away or have become defunct.
The biggest problem faced by the farmers in the gewog is wild animals.
Another farmer, Sherab Zangmo, said that all their hard work is destroyed by the wild animals at night. “You lose the zeal to work when such things happen,” she said. “But since this is our only means of survival, we don’t have any option but to redo it all over again.”
The 55-year-old farmer said that many villagers have received solar fencing through government support. “The fencing has proven effective. We hope the gewog would provide us too.”
The county agriculture extension supervisor, Pema Wangchen, said human-wildlife conflict in the gewog is increasing.
About 13km of solar fencing works was provided to the gewog this year. “We expect the crop production to further improve next year with the fencing works completed,” he said.
He, however, said the paddy production of the gewog is expected to increase this year. “If not, it should remain the same as last year.”
Pema Wangchen reasoned that because of timely monsoon during the transplanting season, they didn’t face any delay in the transplantation.
According to statistics with the district agriculture sector, Radhi produced 2,553.59MT of rice in 2017-2018 from 1,236.16 acres of wetland. The yield per acre of land was recorded at 2,065.75kg.
Apart from producing one of the largest quantities of rice in the east, Radhi is also known for its different varieties of rice. The county produces some nine varieties of rich of which Sorbang and Sung-sung are popular varieties in the country today.
The Sorbang, meaning lemongrass look-alike rice, also known as Radhi rice, fetches about Nu 65 per kilogramme while the red Sung-Sung rice fetches Nu 70 to 75 per kilogramme.
“Even when it gets cold, the rice is still soft. This is why people, mostly in the west prefer Sorbang rice,” said another farmer. “We receive orders for large quantities but most of the time, we are only self-sufficient.”
Meanwhile, Sherub Zangmo said these are new varieties grown recently in the county.
“The rice native to Radhi was called Aassu and was grown since my great-grandfather’s time,” she said. “Now that rice is no more grown because we have better varieties that grow well. Sorbang and Sung-Sung are the new native rice of Radhi.”
On the 12th anniversary of the coronation of His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the people of Bhutan are celebrating and looking back on the start of his “golden reign”.
The King’s coronation had three distinct stages. The first saw His Majesty The Druk Gyalpo receive the same Dar Na-Nga that has been presented to all monarchs of the Wangchuck dynasty from the sacred Machen of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in Punakha Dzong. The second was the official crowning with the “Raven Crown”, and the third was a celebration which lasted three days at Changlingmithang where the people of Bhutan paid homage to their new monarch.
On 7 November 2006, His Majesty made a coronation speech which outlined the plans and foundations on which his reign would grow. He said:
“Throughout my reign I will never rule you as a King. I will protect you as a parent, care for you as a brother and serve you as a son. I shall give you everything and keep nothing; I shall live such a life as a good human being that you may find it worthy to serve as an example for your children; I have no personal goals other than to fulfil your hopes and aspirations. I shall always serve you, day and night, in the spirit of kindness, justice and equality.”
Known as ‘The People’s King’, His Majesty The Druk Gyalpo is known for the special bond he shares with his people and is seen as an inspiration, a leader and a man of selfless service.
In an article in Kuensel – Bhutan’s daily newspaper – reporting on the Coronation Day celebrations made clear the admiration the people of Bhutan have for their king, saying: “During the past decade, His Majesty steered the nation with steadfast attention and brilliance as the democratisation process began to unfold unprecedented experiences in the country with changes in the polity, economy and Bhutanese behaviour. With a smooth transition to democratic constitutional monarchy form of government and the three successful general elections, democracy is deepening and the future looks more promising.”
Every weekend Bhutanese Pema Dorji channels his inner Robin Hood and aims for the bull's-eye, but not without generous sips of the local brew and a leg-kicking dance and song routine.
A way of life
2/8
The likes of Dorji make up the vibrant archery scene in the small Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan where the traditional sport is a way of life for its 800,000 people.
Competitions are held across the country on various auspicious days each month before culminating in national championships attended by hundreds of raucous fans.
"Alcohol and archery go hand in hand," said Tashi Dorji, the research and development officer with the Bhutan Indigenous Games and Sports Association (BIGSA).
"We drink to gain confidence. We have a belief that if we drink we can hit the target better," the 25-year-old said, barely hiding a sheepish grin.
The game
3/8
The game they play pits two teams of 11 players each who try to hit the maximum number of bull's-eyes on a fixed target a full 140 metres (yards) away.
A war cry rings out each time the target is hit. Players in traditional "gho" dresses dance and sing folk numbers -- different ones for winning and losing.
The crucial drink breaks see archers gulp down locally brewed whisky before locking horns again on the field where colourful flags flutter in the breeze.
The beloved national sport is steeped in legends about how bows and arrows were used to hunt prey and destroy demons and evil spirits.
Stories also abound about how the Bhutanese fought the rifle-armed soldiers of the British army in the 19th century using arrows dipped in poison.
Early beginnings
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Archery was popularised by the first king of Bhutan Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuk (1862-1926) and it continued to flourish under royal patronage through the years.
But it suffered a decline after the reclusive nation decided to pursue economic development and open its doors to modernisation, eventually allowing in television in 1999.
"TV made modern sports available, sports like football and volleyball which are cheaper to play. Suddenly there was competition for our traditional sports," said Kinzang Dorji, president of the BIGSA.
"Children had a wider choice unlike the generations before them," he said.
To find a footing
5/8
In addition, the advent of more advanced compound and recurve archery has meant Bhutanese archers used to traditional equipment made of bamboo reeds have struggled to find their feet in international competitions.
Bhutan has sent archers to every Olympics since 1984 but a medal has eluded the nation
Where is the competitive streak
6/8
Some say the Bhutanese, who will vote in only the country's third elections later this month, lack the fiercely competitive streak needed to do well in the sport.
The likes of Ygyen Dorji beg to differ though.
"The rivalry is quite intense. Opponents often plant women in the stands to distract the rivals," said Ygyen Dorji, a mental health counsellor and archery enthusiast.
"The ladies mimic you, try to pull you down and one has to concentrate hard as pride and honour are at stake."
Not ambitious enough
7/8
Fellow participant Karma Tshering said Bhutanese archers were not aspiring to global acclaim.
"Anybody can shoot with the sophisticated modern bows with the help of release aids and all," said Tshering.
"It's the traditional archery which is more challenging, you have to focus on both your body and mind," he said, adjusting the sashes on his waist which he won for scoring maximum points during a game at Thimpu's national sports stadium.
Traditional archery
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The Bhutan Archery Federation recently started a programme to train and encourage children to take up the sport.
In a shot in the arm for traditional archery, two Bhutanese athletes won gold medals at the historical World Archery championship held in August in Hungary.
"It was a great experience to compete with some 300 archers from all over the world," said gold-medallist Damcho Wangdi.
"It showed traditional archery can be revived as many countries in Europe and Asia have some history of playing with bows and arrows.
"And with our rich archery history and culture Bhutan can lead the way."
Image copyrightMELYN MCKAYImage captionBhutan's culture goes far beyond its mountains and valleys
The reclusive kingdom of Bhutan has for years granted only limited access to tourists. But the country is now slowly attracting more visitors - and one way it is doing so is through extreme sports, as filmmaker Alex Bescoby recounts.
It was 2am on a chilly September morning in Bhutan, and a gruelling 268km (166 miles) slog lay ahead.
Between me and the finish line in the capital, Thimphu, lay four mountain-passes each more than 10,000ft high (3,050m) and a feat of endurance that has taken world-class athletes more than 11 hours to complete.
As the organisers of the Tour of the Dragon (TOD) point out, real dangers awaited.
The TOD has been billed as the "toughest one-day bike race in the world". Between the rough undulating terrain and the potential to run into wild tigers, leopards and wild boar, it wasn't hard to see why.
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Only 47 others took part and most were, unlike myself, perfect cycling specimens from Bhutan and abroad.
'It's my dream'
Beside me at the start-line was Wangchuk Namgay, the youngest rider at just 17.
"It's my dream to complete this race," he confided.
Image copyrightALEX BESCOBYImage caption17-year old Wangchuk Namgay was the youngest rider this year
He had never ridden anywhere near this distance before, but his nerves were dampened by the months of training he had put in, and the potential to win the first prize of £1,500 ($1,950).
On my other side was a more seasoned Bhutanese rider, 46-year-old Rinzin Norbu, who was undertaking his eighth race.
"Has anyone ever died doing this?" I asked him, increasingly nervous.
Image copyrightALEX BESCOBYImage captionIt was Rinzin's eighth race, and he was showing no signs of stopping yet
"No, not yet", he grinned. "Our prime minister broke his jaw. It didn't stop him finishing."
It's a good insight into the people that thrive in this nation of just 750,000, tucked between India and China, and nicknamed The Land of the Thunder Dragon.
Bhutan's Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck a passionate cyclist, founded the TOD in 2010 as a challenge between friends. But such is the veneration for the royal family in Bhutan, the race has become a national event.
The 34-year-old prince, dressed ready to race, stopped to greet each rider personally. Heads were bowed and backs straightened.
"Pace yourself, and stay safe," he told me in a reassuring tone.
Minutes later a rumbling prayer from saffron-robed monks built to a crescendo, and the starting gun set off a cloud of confetti.
Image copyrightMELYN MCKAYImage captionChildren line up to support bike races
Before sunrise, darkness was the biggest danger.
The cheap torch I'd strapped to my handlebars failed to spot cows emerging like bovine icebergs in the pre-dawn fog. They refused to move - possibly due to a lack of fear stemming from the ban on all animal-killing in Bhutan, or perhaps due to the copious marijuana growing wild around us.
When the sun finally rose five hours later, it brought its own problems. The temperature rocketed, and my skin turned bright-red in the thin mountain air.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionThese might not be the obstacles you'd expect to find during a bike rideImage copyrightMELYN MCKAYImage captionThe author in action
The five-hour uphill slog that followed deserved its own circle in hell. Bhutan only paved its first road in 1962, and large sections of the route remained a work-in-progress.
As I inched forward in the lowest gear through mile-after-mile of treacle-like mud, the air turned blue with my increasingly inventive swearing.
I found myself dead last, making painfully slow progress. The driver of the sweeper bus behind me alleviated his boredom by live-streaming my efforts across social media via his smartphone.
Culture vs cash
Mobile phones only arrived in Bhutan in 2003 - just four years after the television - but the country is now reaching 100% penetration rates.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionAn increasing number of people in Bhutan have access to a mobile phone
Its thinly spread population once relied on messengers travelling weeks on foot through precarious mountain passes.
But now social media is connecting the Bhutanese like never before, as well as broadcasting my suffering across the country in seconds.
And it's not just smartphones that have taken off in Bhutan. The country's tourism industry is also on the rise.
Bhutan has traditionally restricted tourism to the wealthy few, using steep daily visa-fees to safeguard its pristine environment and proudly independent culture.
But a partnership agreement with India has seen large numbers of tourists visiting Bhutan visa-free in the last few years.
Many bring their own cars and supplies, and stay only briefly in the growing number of high-volume, low-budget hotels popping up across the country.
While some welcome the extra revenue and interest in Bhutan's unique history and culture, it's an issue causing rare disagreement in a country famous for focusing on "Gross National Happiness".
Finding the right balance will likely be top of the agenda for the new government formed after Bhutan goes to the polls for only the third time in history in October.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionArchery is the country's national sport
So perhaps cycling could be the country's way of striking that balance - attracting international athletes while showcasing the best of its culture and environment.
Bhutan is traditionally known for its obsession with archery, its national sport.
But the Bhutan Olympic Committee (BOC) has been increasingly keen to see Bhutan's young athletes consider cycling as an option.
Its secretary-general, Sonam Karma Tshering, believes the presence of world-famous cyclists taking part in the TOD could inspire a future Bhutanese world-champion. He feels that Bhutan's unforgiving terrain is the perfect place for elite cycling to take hold.
The royal family's passion for cycling has also helped.
Bhutan's beloved former king, now in happy retirement having abdicated in favour of his son, can be seen cycling dressed in his traditional gho most days in the hills around Thimphu.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionTourists are increasingly flocking to the capital of Thimphu
Back in the unforgiving mountains, my race towards the finish line continued.
After more than 14 soul-destroying and awe-inspiring hours, I finally surrendered at the 200km mark - a distance surprising both me and my growing online following.
"Ah, the last man standing", quipped Mr Tshering as I limped into his office at the BOC a few days later to discuss his vision for the race.
"It could be the Tour de France of Bhutan!" he declared, only half-joking.
While the race was over for me, the BOC has high hopes of attracting more riders than ever for next year's 10th TOD. But there is a limit, Mr Tshering insisted.
"We want a world class race without selling our soul."
