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Showing posts with label tenzin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tenzin. Show all posts

Oct 17, 2015

Bhutan: 60th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, celebrating from November 9 till 11

The entire country will observe three days of celebrations and festivities beginning November 9 and culminating on the 11th for the 60th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, it was announced at a press conference on Thursday.
The conceptual guidelines for the three days of celebrations was presented by special coordinator Dasho Sonam Tenzin.
While celebrations and festivities will be occurring, Dasho Sonam Tenzin pointed out that His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo has made it clear to the organizers that the emphasis should be on “nation building” as commanded by His Majesty The King, rather than a birthday party, Dasho Sonam Tenzin said.
In line with this over arching theme, the focus of the celebrations will be on reflecting the achievements of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, taking stock of the current status of initiatives and achievements, and to plan for the future based on the vision, wisdom, and direction of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
“Everything we have is because of what He has done,” Dasho Sonam Tenzin said.
His Majesty The King will be addressing the nation on November 11.
While prayers are already being conducted for the occasion, the Zhung Dratshang on November 7, will hold a Goempoi Tongtshog Kurim by 100 monks at Tashichhodzong and a public Nyen-ney Yenlag Gye-Pai Dompa by the Dorji Lopen at Tendrel Thang. On November 8, three thongdrols will be unfurled at Tashichhodzong and other rites conducted.
The activities, which will commence on the 9th, are divided into three categories: paying tribute and gratitude, the offering of collective prayers, and celebrating the occasion of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo’s 60th Birth Anniversary.
Some of the highlights during the three day celebrations include His Majesty The King presenting one statue of Chenrizig to each of the 205 gewogs enabling the people to pay homage to His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. Each statue is to be placed in a temple that is mutually agreed upon by the people of the gewog. However, if there is disagreement, throw of dice will determine which temple is chosen.
The Queen’s Project Office in collaboration with the 60th Birth Anniversary Celebration Coordination Unit will launch 60 different products from various dzongkhags under the One Gewog, One Product programme. The products shall be displayed in tents and sold to the public.
While deferred to after the celebrations, a Druk Gi Norbui Kachen to pay tribute to His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo’s extraordinary qualities of Ku-Sung-Thug-Yonten-Thinley will be built. The monument will be made out of solid stone and be 30 feet high. “The presentation of the monument will be simple but striking with profound significance as the Asoka pillar,” it was pointed out.
The monument will eventually be replicated in all dzongkhags.
The celebrations have been organized into four themes.
The first theme is the offering of kurims and longevity prayers for His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. Nationwide kurims in all dzongs, monasteries, temples, gomdeys, and shedras will be held. A collective recitation of Kanjur by various shedras will also take place. Soelkha will occur in all goenkhangs nationwide and Baza Guru, mani, tshedo, and tshedrub, will be recited jointly by the dratshang, rabdeys, chhodeys, drubdeys, and the public.
The second theme is to create a special event and environment for people to express their gratitude, love, devotion, and loyalty to the His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
An elaborate chipdrel seldrang will be staged for the final day of celebrations. A guard of honour by 1,000 army personnel, will be presented three times to His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. The Zhung Dratshang, rabdey, chhodey, civil service, dakhagsum, and public, will offer a Mendrel Ku-Sum-Thugten or Mandala.
A zhabten for His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, described by Dasho Sonam Tenzin as perhaps the highlight of the programme, will also be offered collectively by the 1,000 representatives of the Dratshang and Chhodey, and representatives from various other sections of society.
Dzongs, boulevards, institutional buildings, and streets will be decorated with flowers, trees, the respectable display of pictures of the monarchs, and illuminations.
The third theme is to stage for the highest quality entertainment programmes that legitimises the event philosophically, ritually, and ceremonially. All schools will be provided with the opportunity of coming up with exceptional programmes and the best ones screened in their respective dzongkhags.
The Dratshang shall display the Zhing-Sheg Pem Chham by 100 monks at Changlimithang.
Senior citizens, above the age of 70, both male and female, will perform a traditional dance for His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
Thousands of colourful bio-degradable balloons will be released.
The fourth theme includes parallel entertainment programmes to be organized at different places at different timings in Thimphu city by private entertainment associations.
Shows will be organized at the Centenary park, Dechenchholing, Changjiji, Clock Tower square, Mothithang park, and on Norzin lam.
A treasure hunt is planned for November 9 to be held at Mothithang, Dechencholing, and Nazhoen Pelri.
On November 10, a marathon for the elderly, above age 60, will begin and end at the Clock Tower square, besides various other entertainment programmes.
On November 11, a cake cutting ceremony will be held in three locations.
Separate avenues may be created to stage all traditional sports of Bhutan.
All 205 gewogs will observe and celebrate the occasion.

Sep 29, 2015

Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO): Regional tourists will be able to process tourist permit online

Regional tourists will be able to process tourist permit online if the government agrees to the request from the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO).
The ABTO recently wrote to the government to make the service online, and the association is hopeful of a positive response. “We are yet to hear from the government,” ABTO’s Executive Director Sonam Dorji said.
Regional tourists coming in by road today need to show up in person at the border check points to process their tourist permit which will be valid for Thimphu and Paro dzongkhags only. If they plan to visit other dzongkhags, they need another permit from Thimphu.
Regional tourists coming in by air do not need to process the permit for Paro and Thimphu dzongkhags like those coming by land. However, they also need to avail another permit from Thimphu if they wish to visit dzongkhags besides Paro and Thimphu.
“So far, only dollar paying tourists can apply for permit online,” Sonam Dorji said. “It takes time for regional tourists to process permit at the Phuentsholing international border.”
Last year about 85,000 of the total 133,000 tourist arrivals were regional tourists, out of which 68,000 were from India. Regional tourists comprise tourists from India, Maldives and Bangladesh and officials argue that it has become important to transfer the issuance of the permit online.
Tour operators believe that the proposed system would not only reduce hassle for regional tourists but also help formalise the informal tourism in the country. Those tourists coming in on their own without routing through tour agents are called informal tourists.
Sharing his personal view, home minister Dawa Gyaltshen said he was positive about the idea although the government is yet to reach a consensus. “In this era of ICT, I think we need to do that in future,” lyonpo said, adding that the cabinet hasn’t been able to sit in the recent weeks.
Indian tour operators also raised the issue when they recently attended the Indo-Bhutan tourism conclave in Thimphu. They said it was a hassle for regional tourists to process the permit, which they said takes time.
An Indian tour operator from West Bengal who attended the conclave said having to wait for hours at the border check point to avail permit was a big problem for regional tourists. “I have been visiting Bhutan for quite sometime and I had to wait for four hours to avail my permit to Bhutan,” he said
“We have to come in person, which is a big hindrance for the growth of Bhutanese tourism industry itself,” he said. If tourists can book permits online, he said they could do that in advance and make a secured trip to Bhutan.
Some tourism officials said that the introduction of the proposed system would contribute in bringing regional tourists during off-season. Bhutanese tourism being seasonal in nature is the main constraint the industry is facing today, according to officials.
Indian tour operator Rajat Goswami said services such as issuance of permits should be made easier. He said regional tourists are equally important for Bhutan, as are dollar-paying tourists.
“We give business when Bhutan has nothing. It’s not alternative business,” he said.
Indian tour agents said they also receive late responses from their Bhutanese counterparts. “People these days have no patience,” he said. “But we get response from Bhutan counterparts very late,” he said
Source: Kuenselonline

Sep 26, 2015

Bhutan Festival: What’s tshechu really, and why do we observe it?

The answer is simple you may think. It is in many ways. But tshechu is much more than how it is understood today.

History has it that Guru Rinpoche, the great scholar, visited Tibet and Bhutan in the 8th century and 9th century. He visited Bhutan to help the dying king Sindhu Raja in Bumthang. Guru performed a series of such dances to restore the health of the king. The grateful king helped spread Buddhism in Bhutan. Guru organised the first tshechu in Bumthang, where the eight manifestations of Guru were presented through eight forms of dances.
But tshechu is more than celebration of Guru Rinpoche’s extraordinary life and contributions. It is a moment to give thanks; it is a time for people to supplicate for good days ahead. However, with time, tshechu has come to mean something totally different.
Tshechu was initiated long time ago as the most profound public teaching – how we live our lives, how we need to conduct ourselves as an individual member of society, and how we could work together for the benefit of all. It was meant to be a time of celebration for people who had to work for days on end in the fields, a moment for members of family to come together and celebrate their success.
All these have taken a different turn today. Tshechu these days is a holiday and time to have some fun, nothing more than that.
“Tshechu is fun. We get to see a lot of different things and time to hangout during nights,” says 17-year-old Kuenga Tenzin. “Chams are a bore, really. There should be more modern dance and songs.”
But 76-year-old Aap Thinley Penjore disagrees. Tshechu is not a plain celebration, he says. It has a deep significance. “Tshechus are kurims for the nation and the people. What is important is that one should have a complete devotion. Prayers need to be earnest. Only then will good things happen to the people and the country.”
But to the young people, the twirling and twisting of the masked dancers mean nothing. There is nothing to be gained from it, materially, emotionally and spiritually.
Raksha Mangcham, the dance of the Rakshas and Judgement of the Dead, which is based on the Book of Dead – Guru Rinpoche’s scared teaching – is, at the best, a funny act to most young people today.
“I don’t understand why these dancers are going about wasting so much time. And look at the rain. What’s the purpose of it,” says Sonam Choden, a 19-year-old student. “I have heard that the dances have special meaning. I don’t get it.”
Shingje Choegi Gyalp, the Lord of the Dead, has been basking for a long while, in the rain not for no reason. The judgement time will soon begin. Black and white deeds will be counted and the fate of a person will be decided.
“Not many people understand the significance of tshechu today,” says Aap Kinley Sithub of Kabesa, Thimphu. “Tshechus were initiated to thank gods for peace and prosperity and to invoke the power of the higher beings to grant us continued prosperity and happiness.”
Today, tshechu has come to mean a time to flaunt one’s wealth. How best one is dressed and how richly one eats is Tshechu. For young people, it is a time to find a mate and have a good time, however fleeting the moment.
Says Lopen Pema Thinley, a retired teacher: “It is good that we now have commentators at tshechus. Otherwise, our young people will not understand anything about tshechu. It is crucial that we understand why we are doing this. It is more than just culture, tradition and belief system. It is a life lesson.”
Shingje Choegi Gyalp is looking on, almost motionless. Acts unfold and the rain continues. Thimphu Tshechu is coming to an end. Outside, on the streets, traders and merchants are busy selling garments and things varied.
Has tshechu also come to mean business?
Source: Kuenselonline

Sep 25, 2015

Higher flexibility.Lower fares


Tourist arrivals in Bhutan fall during Peak season


While spring has not been so bountiful, there is not much to look forward to in fall either for the tourism industry that saw a drop in international tourist arrivals by about 14.62 percent as of August this year.
Even the ongoing Thimphu tshechu, one of the highlights of the peak season failed to draw as many international tourists as it did last year.
Records with the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) show that a total of 3,495 international tourists have been booked to arrive for the Thimphu tshechu this year against 5,280 international tourists in 2014 for the same period.
Bhutan recorded a total of 99,709 tourists as of August 31 of which 32,877 were international visitors and 66,832 regional visitors. While this is an overall increase of 30.83 percent, in terms of international tourists, this season saw a drop of 14.62 percent.
Regional tourist arrivals continued to increase this year. As of August 31, regional tourists recorded an increase of 77.25 percent compared to the same period last year.
Visitors from India, Maldives and Bangladesh are considered as regional tourists. They are exempt from the minimum daily tariff of USD 250 and 200 during the peak and lean seasons that the international tourists pay to visit Bhutan.
TCB officials said the Bhutan-Thailand friendship offer for the lean months of June, July and August brought in a total of 8,842 Thai visitors that boosted the international tourist arrivals statistics.
However, they also said that the tourism industry continues to be affected by the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake and the bomb blast in Bangkok, Thailand since Bangkok is the preferred choice of entry point and circuit destination for visitors coming to Bhutan.
The drop in arrivals, which is compounded by the increasing number of tour operators and guides leaving, has left the industry in doldrums.
Hotels and Restaurants Association of Bhutan’s president Thinley Palden Dorji said that while the association doesn’t have data on occupancy yet, going by the demand, there is a decline from last year. “This year it’s relatively calmer and easier to get rooms unlike last year,” he said, adding this has left many hotels worried.
However, Thinley Palden Dorji said that last year as the Thimphu tshechu coincided with the puja holidays in October, it had increased demand for rooms from regional tourists.
As for tour operators, most said they recorded a drop in arrivals compared to the past years.
“For us, it’s been the same like last year but this year it wasn’t difficult getting hotels,” a tour operator said. “Still there are many hotels available while last year there was shortage of rooms everywhere.”
Etho Metho tour and treks’ director Sangay Wangchuk said they experienced a drop in tourists by about 30 to 40 percent compared to last year. He attributed the drop to the Nepal earthquake, which led to cancellation of trips.
Some tour operators said that Myanmar and Sri Lanka emerging as new destinations had an impact on Bhutan as a destination. Besides, tour operators said that the increasing number of Bhutanese tour operators led to more competition.
Guides Association of Bhutan’s (GAB) chairman Garab Dorji said that at this time of the year, the association receives many requests for guides. “This year there are hardly any requests which means there is a drop in arrivals,” he said. “Most guides were saying they aren’t engaged this time.”
During peak seasons, GAB arranges freelance guides for tour operators when the demand soars. However since last year, Garab Dorji said the market has been inundated with guides.  “Every year about 400 to 500 guides enter the market,” he said.
A tour operator said that the drop in international tourist arrivals this fall is proof of how volatile the tourism industry is. “It only goes to show what we are up against if the country becomes too dependent on tourism,” he said.
There are more than 2,300 guides, 1,600 tour operators and 123 tourist standard hotels in the country as of last year.
Source: Kuenselonline

Jun 20, 2014

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay yesterday refused to receive the revised salary

Surprising parliamentarians and the people, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay yesterday refused to receive the revised salary, and announced that he would donate the additional Nu 50,000 from his revised monthly salary to charity.
While presenting the State of the Nation report to Parliament, lyonchhoen said many people have criticised the salary for members of parliament and cabinet ministers.
“I’ll not defend the increase or argue whether it’s too high or not,” lyonchhoen said. “However, on the prime minister’s (PM) salary, I also agree that it’s too high.”
“Our country can’t afford it and my conscience will not be able to accept it,” lyonchhoen said.
Lyonchhoen stated that he would be accepting the salary equivalent to that received by the cabinet ministers, and the additional monthly amount of Nu 50,000 would be donated to charity organisations at the end of his five-year term.
“There’s no motive, I’m just driven by the understanding that the PM’s salary was too high,” lyonchhoen told Kuensel.
Lyonchhoen said that, on one hand, the government was trying austerity and, on the other, the PM can’t be accepting such a big salary.
“Several members, both in the opposition and the ruling party, said that I have to take it, but I said I couldn’t accept this and, if the PM must get more, than give him Nu 1 more, just as a token, which wasn’t accepted as well,” lyonchhoen said.
He added that the first Parliament, in its sixth session, approved the pay scale and the present government, the day it took office, should have legally started accepting the higher salary, because it was already passed by the parliament.
“But we didn’t, because we felt responsible to drive the austerity measures, and we didn’t want to take the high package,” lyonchhoen said.
He said that the salary reduction was discussed earlier and submitted to Parliament.  However, the proposal had been already endorsed and approved by the first parliament.
“That is law. We can’t just change it and that’s why, we didn’t accept it and we didn’t change it,” he said. “We submitted it back to Parliament and I requested to revise the PM’s salary downward, but none of this was accepted.”
Lyonchhoen had however not identified the charities that he will donate his approximately Nu 2.7M at the end of his term.
Economics affairs minister Norbu Wangchuk said that the PM’s decision has been made in good faith, and it set the tone for others to follow.
“It’s a noble gesture and will set a role model for leaders,” he said.
Minister for information and communications, DN Dhungyel, said the PM was recommended a higher salary, but it was the wisdom of the PM to not accept the recommended pay scale.
Personally, the minister said he did not support this decision, because the cabinet ministers and the PM had two very different types of responsibilities.
Finance minister Namgay Dorji said that the pay scale for PM and the ministers was a resolution of the National Assembly, which could not be over-written.
“However the PM’s intentions are clear and we respect his decision,” lyonpo Namgay Dorji said.
While some cabinet ministers applauded the move, Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party tweeted, “An intentional raise of 131 percent disagreeing to the pay commission report and now a donation gimmick…wake up Bhutan and realise.”
It also tweeted that the pay commission’s report on pay raise for PM and cabinet ministers was lower than the government’s pay revision report.
Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party president Sonam Tobgay said, “There are large variations between the pay commission’s report vis-à-vis the government’s pay revision report.”
Meanwhile, Druk Nyamrup tshogpa’s interim president, (Dr) Tandin Dorji, said he appreciated the PM’s gesture.

Source: Kuenselonline