Losar Tashi Delek

10^th February 2016

Nancy’s invitation to attend Losar (Bhutanese New Year) celebrations at Ugyen Chholing in Tang was too good an opportunity to pass up.  The added incentive of Laura, the new BCF teacher at Tang Central School, being happy for me to stay with her during this time and for a few days after was a real bonus.

Housewarming party for Laura with Dorji, Kirsten,
Becky and Nima

I had met Nancy’s ex-student, Dorji, at Christmas and he was the person to talk to about organisation of the travel itinerary for Nancy’s visitors.  I was able to travel on the coach intended for Nancy’s visitors on their journey from Bumthang to the East; they were flying to Bumthang so the coach was loaded with supplies, luggage and had a number of spare seats:  so Laura and I were to travel on this coach and were joined by returning BCF teacher Becky, who is placed in Bumthang.

Tshering brought rice porridge and changkey
for breakfast  while Nima was enjoying his
morning coffee with us

The evening before Losar was also Laura’s first night in her house, so we were joined by Becky, BCF teacher from Bidung, Kirsten (who was also on her way to report to school for the beginning of term), Nima (Nancy’s driver) and another Dorji who was the coach driver for housewarming celebrations and a shared meal, whipped up by Nima and me.  There was much excitement later in the evening as some went outside and discovered it was snowing and settling.

The snow impacted on our water supply (frozen pipes), so my shower turned into a very quick mandi bath, but the delight of waking to a snow covered landscape was wonderful.  The pine trees had their branches weighted down with snow and the fields and roofs had an inch or so of snow. 

Morning sunlight touches the snowy hills behind Laura's house

I had turned the water boiler (urn) ready to make coffeee when there was a knock on the door with Nima there, hoping we had electricity (his room did not) and the ability to make his early morning coffee.  I have been in Bhutan long enough not to be phased by visitors before 7am.  We broke out the packet of ground coffee beans brought from Thimphu and the coffee plunger (French Press) I had passed on to Laura and were enjoying our first sips of this rare delight when another knock on the door brought Tshering, the caretaker’s son, with a tray of rice porridge (with chilli of course) – the traditional holiday pre-breakfast treat – and changkhey, the freshly fermented rice drink to which egg had been added.  Nima declined to participate in these delicacies, as some was also being delivered for him and Dorji downstairs in their own room.  Laura tasted the changkhey, but I chose not to – I have had this before and it is not my favourite drink, besides, I’m not that keen on alcohol for breakfast.

Laura and Nima ready to depart
for Ugyen Chholing

Despite Nima’s attempts to get us to depart at his preferred time, many were operating on BST and we eventually departed at 8:30am for the drive up to Ugyen Chholing.  Fabulous vistas of snow covered countryside delighted us on our journey.

Our arrival at 9am included a short drive through the village road, which had been turned into an archery range for the day.  No Losar would be complete without Bhutan’s national sports, archery and khuru (darts).  I suspect the use of the village street for the archery range was a matter of convenience, it being relatively the flattest area available.  I also saw, on the way to and from Ugyen Chholing, other archery ranges that went across several fences. 

Lovely, snowy vistas on the drive to Ugyen Chholing

The Ogyen Chholing palace is a family home, with its own private lhakhang, dating from the sixteenth century, and current owner Kuenzang Choden is about 19^th generation.  Coffee and chat with Nancy’s visitors, and extra breakfast of toast and honey,  was available while we waited for someone who was walking up the hill for prayers and rituals at the lhakang.

Ugyen Chholling village at 9am

Finally it was time, and I discarded my down jacket, which I had donned over my kira and taego (though I will confess to a full set of thermal underwear, a warm skivvy  and warm hiking socks as my base layers), and we proceeded to the lhakang.  I no longer feel comfortable entering a lhakhang and not doing my 3 prostrations in each directions, and I think this and my kira (hand woven) earned me the comments from the elderly ladies after the rituals.

Prayers read by the gentleman seated cross-legged beside me were followed by the offerings of bottles of ara to the honored guests and the ritual offering of a bowl of ara.  Suja (butter tea) and spiced rice were distributed to all, followed by assorted foodstuffs ranging from fruit and sticks of sugarcane to handmade rice cakes and dough cookies to wrapped sweet food bars.  And doma.  I gave my doma with my neigbour in prayers, noted that our hostesses husband Walter later did likewise and subsequently mentioned this to other visitors who were happy to donate theirs to other elderly village people present.

At Ugyen Chholing

A number of enterprising younger village ladies had brought their weaving for sale to visitors, though I’m not sure that their efforts were at all rewarded.  The cry of “shopping, shopping” came when I looked at their wares, but their scarves were not as nice as those I had asked my Kheni neighbour Sithar to weave, so I was able to resist. 

There was some time to fill, so a diversion to observe the archery provided the usual amusement that an archery match does.  There were separate divisions for those who chose to use the traditional bows and those who chose to use the modern, factory produced cross bows.  Either way, the banter and cheering, singing and dancing for successful shots were the same.  By then, mid morning, most of the snow had melted and the sun was out, although the wind was cold.

After prayers in the lhakhang

A book launch followed, for the owner of Ogyen Chholing Palace, Kuenzang Choden’s, is also an author.  Her new book Guru Rinpoche is coming is a picture story book.  It seemed that the real guests of honour for this occasion were Kuenzang’s local reading group – around 20 children from the village, aged from around 2 (she went to sleep during proceedings) to 13-14 years old.

There was an invitation to visit the museum; the central tower or utse has been converted into a museum.  Its contents are largely what had been in the family for the  generations that preceded current owner, Kuenzang and the interpretive labels and explanations are interesting and informative –much  better than the folk museum in Thimphu.  Although I had visited the museum before, in 2013, the prospect of a tour with Kuenzang interested me greatly.

Sunlight on Ugyen Chholing around 11am

Lunch was al-fresco, an interesting choice given that we were at almost 3000m of altitude and it had snowed the previous night.  However, there was probably no other suitable space for the number of people as the party seated at table numbered around 20 and there were a similar or greater number of villagers – one invited from each household, seated separately.

After lunch a small group of village ladies got up to dance, and were gradually joined by a few more, and then visitors.  Great fun was had by all up to and including the final and traditional farewell dance.

An endangered black necked crane

Farewells were said and Nima drove Laura and I back to Laura’s house.  Becky and Kirstan had elected to walk but Laura and I, dressed in Kira, were less suitably attired for such activities.  On the drive back a pair of black necked cranes were spotted by Nima and we stopped for photographs, with great excitement.  These birds are endangered species and their known wintering grounds are Phobjikah Valley and Bomdeling Wildlife Sanctuary.  They had been reported close to Yangtse town in Trashiyangtse and also around Chamkhar.  One can only hope that the presence of this pair is indication that the species is increasing in number and geographic distribution. 

Back at Laura’s new house we engaged in some domestic activities and caught up with Becky and Kirsten who told us they had seen the cranes the previous day. 

A young boy is engrossed in the story reading

A very satisfactory day!!

Nancy launches Kuenzang's new book