Bhutan Marks Holy Month by turning into Vegetarian

Why Bhutan’s ‘hardline vegetarian right’ wants everyone in the country to stop eating meat

 

Bhutan takes Buddhism so seriously that no animals are allowed to be slaughtered for consumption within the country: Getty
Bhutan takes Buddhism so seriously that no animals are allowed to be slaughtered for consumption within the country:

It is purported to be the happiest country in the world, but if there is one subject guaranteed to flare tensions in the Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan, it’s meat.

“It is okay because the animal was not killed in Bhutan,” explains my guide Kinley, when I question whether it is socially acceptable for us to be sitting down to a chicken curry in a country where butchering animals for consumption is outright banned. This reasoning might seem bizarre, but it goes a long way to explain the complex issues surrounding the consumption of meat in Bhutan.

Buddhism teaches that it is wrong to kill animals, which are seen to be part of the divine creation. But while this teaching is not taken particularly seriously in other Buddhist majority countries outside monastic circles, it is law in Bhutan, where Buddhist leaders enjoy an influential voice in public policy.

Problem is, most Bhutanese – even many monks – enjoy eating meat. So much, in fact, that Bhutan is the highest consumer of meat per capita in South Asia. As it is not illegal to consume meat in Bhutan, it’s all imported. Yet Bhutan’s meat-eating community is increasingly under threat from the wrath of the nation’s “vegetarian right” – a growing movement led by religious figures that are calling for sanctions on the importation, sale and consumption of meat on religious grounds, despite Buddha himself well documented to have eaten meat.

Bhutan is renowned for its rich Buddhist culture (Getty)
Bhutan is renowned for its rich Buddhist culture

This hardline approach jars a little in the context of a country that measures its success not by economics, but by a Gross National Happiness Index. And it’s true that during my 10-day visit, I found Bhutanese people to be among the world’s most welcoming. It’s easy to see why Bhutan has become such a bucket list destination: the famous Tiger’s Nest monastery perched on a misty mountaintop near Paro looks just as magical in the flesh as it does in the pictures, and the phallus-emblazoned houses of the Punakha district – an ode to a monk known as the Divine Madman for his, er, unconventional methods of “enlightening” women – have to be seen to be believed.

But if you like your meat, eating it does feel a little more political here. I felt a bit put off consuming anything non-veggie – despite my guide having no issue with it.

The Tiger’s Nest monastery has become the most recognisable symbol of Bhutan (Getty)
The Tiger’s Nest monastery has become the most recognisable symbol of Bhutan

To illustrate just how seriously the vegetarian right takes the issue, in 2015, the announcement of government plans to build a series of plants to process imported meat (in an effort to control quality and hygiene) outraged them enough that the Zhung Dratshang – Bhutan’s central monastic body – ultimately called for the projects to be halted.

Last year, Bhutan’s Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority moved to appease religious leaders by proposing a ban on the sale of meat during the holy first and fourth Bhutanese months, with heavy penalties for commercial vendors caught storing or selling meat during these sacred periods.

Some towns, including all hotels in the northern district of Bumthang, have since signed agreements among themselves to stop storing or selling meat during the auspicious months, while also agreeing to submit to surprise inspections from vegetarian committees.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I spotted a group of farmers slicing up a cow in broad daylight as my tour bus bumped along a pretty country road en route to a rural homestay. “The cow must have died of old age,” Kinley shrugged when I queried what was going on. “They harvest the meat before it spoils.” Now, I’m not a huge carnivore, but as someone who enjoys a juicy burger now and then, I sympathise with anyone who has to wait for a cow to die to enjoy a bit of steak.

The gorgeous Haa district of Western Bhutan (Wiki Commons)
The gorgeous Haa district of Western Bhutan

In Bhutan, however, it is easy – for tourists, at least – to go without meat. Never, except perhaps in southern India, have I found it such a delight to “go vego” than I did here. Tourist meals in Bhutan are typically served banquet-style, and while there’s usually at least one meat dish, the vegetarian options are the highlight.

The local red rice is as healthy as it is deliciously nutty, fresh organic vegetables burst with flavour, and the buckwheat momos (dumplings) served in Western Bhutan’s Haa district are next-level good. It is said that a Bhutanese meal isn’t complete without a serving of ema datshi or chilli cheese (literally hot green chillies cooked with local cheese), and I couldn’t resist sampling this eye-wateringly spicy dish at least once a day. The key flavouring agent in Bhutanese cuisine, chilli, poses a greater challenge for many tourists than the availability of meat.

Favourite local dish ema datshi – literally just chillies and cheese (Wiki Commons)
Favourite local dish ema datshi – literally just chillies and cheese

But that said, it has been a somewhat bland culinary start to 2017 for locals in Bhutan. The government has been forced to rethink a 2016 ban on the import of “toxic” chillies from India that has seen the price of local chillies skyrocket. Poor families without the land to grow their own have thus faced flavourless mealtimes thanks to reduced access to their key source for taste.

The challenges of maintaining a self-sufficient chilli crop is just one of many hurdles Bhutan has faced while ploughing ahead to become the world’s first wholly organic country by 2020, an ambitious goal in an era when youth in developing nations like Bhutan are more reluctant to follow in the farming footsteps of their parents.

Despite its status as a poster child for sustainable development, Bhutan has not been left untouched by the effects of climate change either, with erratic weather over recent years having left some farmers struggling to reap a viable harvest without the use of chemicals.

While I thoroughly enjoyed being a pseudo-vegetarian during my trip to Bhutan, I’m grateful my choice to sink my chops into a juicy piece of meat sometimes isn’t under threat from a hardline vegetarian sect. If Buddha was okay with eating meat, surely Bhutan’s meat-lovers deserve a bit of slack?

Travel essentials

Getting there

The best way to fly in/out directly to Bhutan is from Bangkok, Delhi, Kathmandu and Kolkata on Druk Air, the government owned airline with it’s fleet of 4 aircrafts. 3 Airbus A319s and 1 ATR and Bhutan airline, a new private airline.

Staying there

Tourist hotels run from the quaint and comfortable to sheer luxury hotel scattered throughout the country. For the list of hotels, you can check- hotel.bt

Visiting there

Please contact Keys to Bhutan – https://www.keystobhutan.com/contactus/

More information

Please check- Keys to Bhutan Webpage-  https://www.keystobhutan.com

PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE’S ROYAL TOUR ITINERARY OF INDIA AND BHUTAN

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Prince William and Kate’s royal tour itinerary of India and Bhutan

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will embark on what is perhaps their most colorful royal tour to date – a seven-day trip to India and Bhutan this spring. William and Kate will undertake the official visit from 10 to 16 April at the request of Her Majesty’s government, the week before the Queen celebrates her milestone 90th birthday.

It will be the first time the Duke and Duchess have visited either country and they are “very much looking forward” to the tour, a Kensington Palace statement revealed. “The Duke and Duchess cannot wait to meet the people of India and Bhutan,” it added.

In India – a country the Queen has visited several times before – William and Kate will pay respect to the historical relationship between Britain and India, but will also focus on understanding India as it is today and will be throughout the 21st century.

As for Bhutan, the royals will meet their Majesties the King and Queen, who have been dubbed the “William and Kate” of the Himalayas.

Day One – Sunday 10 April – Mumbai

William and Kate arrive in Mumbai. The couple will stay at the Taj Palace Hotel, which was hit by the 2008 terrorist attacks. They will lay a wreath at a memorial inside the hotel and meet members of staff who helped protect guests during the attack.

The couple will then head to Oval Maidan, a large public park that is home to cricket pitches where they will watch a young person’s cricket match and meet representatives and beneficiaries of three charities – Magic Bus, Doorstep, and India’s Childline – and play with children from nearby slums. There may be a few surprises during this engagement!

William and Kate will then head to the Banganga Water Tank, where they will meet representatives of a charity called SMILE that focuses on skills and opportunities for young people and their parents.

In the evening, the couple will attend a glittering reception and dinner held in their honour to celebrate Mumbai’s film and creative industries.

Day Two – Monday 11 April – Mumbai, New Delhi

William and Kate will meet with aspiring young entrepreneurs at a GREAT campaign event at a bar, restaurant and collaborative workspace called The Social in Mumbai.

The couple will then fly to New Delhi and begin their programme with a wreath-laying at India Gate.

They will then travel to Gandhi Smriti, a museum where Mahatma Gandhi, India’s founding father, spent the last few years of his life. William and Kate will tour the museum then follow Gandhi’s final footsteps from his bedroom to the spot in the garden where he was assassinated in 1948.

In the evening, the couple will attend a birthday party for Her Majesty The Queen at the residence of the British High Commissioner. The garden party will be attended by VIPs and William will deliver a speech in honour of his grandmother.

Day Three – Tuesday 12 April – New Delhi, Kaziranga National Park

Two engagements have been scheduled for the morning and will be confirmed nearer the time.

The Duke and Duchess will also have a private meeting with NGOs working in Delhi before they head to the Kaziranga National Park in the state of Assam. Kaziranga is a World Heritage Site and a wildlife conservation site of great global importance, home to elephants, water buffalo, bird species, the endangered swamp deer, tigers and one-horned rhinoceroses.

They will arrive in the evening and as their visit coincides with the Bohag Bihu festival, the celebration of the Assamese New Year, William and Kate will meet local people and see dance and musical performances around a campfire.

Day Four – Wednesday 13 April – Kaziranga National Park

The following morning the couple will take part in an open-air drive around the National Park itself. They will be welcomed by local people and park staff and later meet rangers inside Kaziranga.

William will use this opportunity to speak about rhino poaching and the lies that surround the Indian rhino horn that is being sold by traffickers.

After the tour of the park, the Duke and Duchess will meet local people in a village. Details will be announced later.

In the afternoon, they will visit the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, which provides emergency care and rehabilitation to wild animals that have been injured, displaced, or orphaned.

William and Kate will also meet young filmmakers who are members of Green Hub, a project that teaches film-making as a vocational skill to young people across North-East India.

They will then visit the Kaziranga Discovery Centre built by Elephant Family, the charity founded by Mark Shand, late brother of The Duchess of Cornwall. The couple will put the finishing touches on an elephant sculpture to officially mark the “call for artists” for India’s elephant parade.

Day Five –Thursday 14 April – Bhutan

William and Kate will fly to Bhutan and arrive at Paro airport where they will be met by senior state representatives. The couple will take a scenic drive to the capital city of Thimphu.

Their first stop will be at the beautiful Thimphu Dzong, where they will meet the King and Queen of Bhutan and take part in a chipdrel, a traditional welcome procession. They will visit a temple where they will receive a brief blessing and will light butter lamps.

William and Kate will then say goodbye to the King and Queen for the afternoon and head to Thimphu’s open-air archery venue, to witness the country’s national sport. They will also meet young people from local schools and NGOs who will be playing other traditional games.

That evening William and Kate will have a private dinner with the King and Queen at Lingkana Palace.

Day Six – Friday 15 April – Bhutan

William and Kate will hike for five to six hours to Paro Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest monastery which dates to 1692. The monastery is a magical place near the cave where Guru Padmasambhava – who is credited with introducing Buddhism to Bhutan – is said to have meditated for more than three years in the eighth century.

Back in Thimphu that evening, the couple will attend a reception for British nationals in Bhutan and Bhutanese people with strong links to the UK.

Day Seven – Saturday 16 April – Agra

William and Kate will board a plane from Paro airport to Agra, India, the home of the Taj Mahal. Princess Diana famously visited the iconic landmark 24 years ago and William said he feels “incredibly lucky” to visit a place where his mother’s memory is kept alive.