Bhutan is one of the least densely populated countries in the world, with 79 percent of the population living in rural areas. The kingdom’s independent history is evident in the nature of its people who are natural, confident, and gentle. Bhutanese people share a good sense of humor and are tolerant of other different cultures.
While Dzongkha is the national language, and English is widely spoken, Bhutan has 19 officially registered languages and dialects. This diversity in language and culture is an indication of the cultural richness and heritage of this small kingdom.
Bhutan is an open society and its people engage with visitors as equals, with mutual respect. People in Bhutan, no matter how simple their rural lives are, have a welcome smile for every visitor. The Bhutanese people are gracious hosts and treat all visitors as guests. Bhutanese hospitality is even more evident in the rural villages where the local people genuinely welcomes visitors as honored guests.
Bhutanese people are deeply religious. Buddhism is seen as a path for achieving ultimate happiness in life. Naturally, spirituality is a major issue in the search for happiness. Buddhist thinking does not distinguish individuals from other beings. It puts a lot of stress on interdependence – part of a range of life across species and generations.
Bhutanese consider happiness as the most important goal for any development activities for its people and hence has adopted “Gross National Happiness” and not “Gross Domestic Product” as the ultimate goal of development. The term Gross National Happiness was first expressed by His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan. It is rooted in the Buddhist notion that the ultimate purpose of life is inner happiness. Bhutan being a Buddhist country, the then young King in 1974 (when he was crowned as the youngest monarch in the world at the age of 17) felt the responsibility to define development in terms of happiness of its people, rather than in terms of an abstract economic measurement such as Gross National Product. Bhutanese planners see the beauty of Gross National Happiness from another aspect as it was first espoused by a “fresh young unpolluted mind”. |
