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In Bhutan,
wherever you go, you will be greeted with traditional Bhutanese
hospitality. It is in the Bhutanese tradition to honour every
guest with great hospitality. In general, Bhutanese people are
friendly and well-disposed towards foreigners.
Bhutanese people still wear their traditional dress in schools,
offices and public places. Above the picture shows a Bhutanese
girl in women's traditional dress known as 'Kira'. Men's
traditional dress is known as 'Gho' and it looks like a
knee-length overcoat.
Bhutan's population can be divided into three broad ethnic
groups:
the Eastern Bhutanese known as the Sharchops, the
Western Bhutanese known as the Ngalungs, and the Southern
Bhutanese known as the Lhotshampas.
Bhutanese people continue to live in valleys. These valleys are
now connected by roads. In the past, the rivers and gorges
isolated different valleys and as a result, different dialects
developed and it is common to see different dialects spoken in
different valleys.
Believed to be the earliest inhabitants of Bhutan, the
Sharchops are of Mongoloid origins, though their exact
origin is unknown (Tibet being the most likely source). At
present, they live mainly in the east of Bhutan.
The western region is the home of the Ngalung people, who
are also of Mongoloid origin. Most breed cattle or cultivate the
land, and their dwellings are spread over a wide area. Their
ancestors are believed to have migrated to Bhutan from Tibet
over the centuries.
The Northern Himalayan Zone, over 3,000 meters (9,000 feet), is
the haunt of semi nomadic yak herdsmen. They spend most of the
year in their black yak hair tents, but also possess dry-stone
walled houses, where they spend the coldest months of the year
and which are used to store their goods.
Southern Bhutan is inhabited mainly by Nepalese farmers who
arrived in the country at the end of the 19th century. They are
known to Bhutanese as the 'Lhotshampas' which means
'people of the southern region'.
Some figures are given below can get access to a reliable
source. |
