1. SAARC

3. INTRODUCTION
 SAARC - South Asian
Association for Regional
Cooperation
 SAARC is an economic and
political organization.
 SAARC was established on
December 8, 1985.
 In terms of population - almost
1.5 billion people.

4.  It aims to accelerate the
process of economic and
social development in
Member States.
 SAARC provides a platform
for the peoples of South
Asia to work together in the
spirit understanding.
 In April 2007, at the
Association's 14th summit,
Afghanistan became its
eighth member.

5. Objectives
 To promote the welfare of the people
 To accelerate economic growth, social progress and
cultural development
 To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance
 To contribute to mutual trust, understand and
appreciation of one another's problem;
 To promote active collaboration and mutual
assistance
 To strengthen cooperation with other developing
countries;
 To strengthen cooperation among themselves
 To cooperate with international and regional
organisations with similar aims and purposes.

6. BHUTAN
 BHUTAN is one of the
countries of SAARC
 The information regarding
is presented in the
following slides

7. TRADITIONAL DRESS
 During daylight hours “Bhutanese” citizens required to
observe the national dress code, known as “Driglam
Namzha”
 Men wear a heavy knee-length robe tied with a belt,
called a gho, folded in such a way to form a pocket in
front of the stomach
 Women wear colourful blouses over which they fold
and clasp a large rectangular cloth called a kira,
thereby creating an ankle-length dress. A short silk
jacket, or toego may be worn over the kira

8. MONUMENTS
 TRASHI CHHOE DZONG
 TAKTSANG GOEMBA(The Tiger's Nest)
 PARO DZONG(also called Rinpung Dzong in
Bhutanese)
 KICHU LHAKHANG
 PUNAKHA DZONG

9. TRASHI CHHOE DZONG
 The present dzong was
built in the 18th century
by Shabdrung Rinpoche
to house government officials
 To accommodate the
national government and the
central monastic body, the
dzong was totally refurbished
and enlarged in 1962, a year after
Thimphu was designated the
nation's capital

10. TAKTSANG GOEMBA(The
Tiger's Nest)
 Taktsang was established as a
sacred place for meditation by
Guru Rinpoche who visited
the site on his second visit
to Bhutan in 747 CE, though
the first monastery was not
constructed until 1694
 Precariously perched on the edge of a 1,200 meter cliff, this
monastery creates an impressive sight, and is the unofficial
symbol of Bhutan

11. PARO DZONG(also called Rinpung
Dzong in Bhutanese)
 Built in 1646, Paro Dzong
is a large Drukpa Kagyu
Buddhist monastery and
fortress in Paro District
in Bhutan
 It houses the district Monastic Body and
government administrative offices of Paro
Dzongkhag

12. KICHU LHAKHANG
 It is most ancient monastery
in Bhutan built by
King Songten Gampo
in one night sometimes
around 8th century
 It is located just off the
road running between Paro bazaar and the
Taktsang

13. PUNAKHA DZONG
 Constructed by Shabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal(the
founder of Bhutan)
in 1637-38
 It is the winter home of
Bhutan's Central
Monastic Body

14. FESTIVALS
 TSHECHU PROGRAMME
 PUNAKHA DROMCHOE (Punakha)
 TAMSHINGPHALA CHOEPA (Bumthang)
 JAMBAY LHAKANG DRUP (Bumthang)
 TRONGSA TSHECHU (Trongsa)

15. TSHECHU PROGRAMME
 The Tsechu/Festival is a religious festival in
honour of Guru Rinpoche or a patron deity of
the area. The Bhutanese dressed in their
finest, come from all over for the festivities. It
is believed that one who witnesses the
tshechu is profusely blessed

16. PUNAKHA DROMCHOE
(Punakha)
 Punakha Dromchoe is a five day long festival
dedicated to the goddess Mahakala. The
religious aspects are performed in the same
manner as in early times. On the last day, a
play of warriors going off to war is enacted

17. TAMSHINGPHALA CHOEPA
(Bumthang)
 The festival is celebrated for three days, on
the open grounds in front of the Tamshing
lhakang. This festival is in honour of the
“Terton” (treasure discoverer) Pema Lingpa
of the 15th century. The religious dances are
generally the same, but performed in a
slightly different manner, as of the
Nyingmapa sect of Mahayana Buddhism

18. JAMBAY LHAKANG DRUP
(Bumthang)
 This festival was introduced to celebrate the
completion of the lhakang in the 7th century.
The dances are performed by laymen from
the villages in the valley. The high light of this
festival is the ‘Mewang” – the fire ceremony

19. TRONGSA TSHECHU
(Trongsa)
 The festival is celebrated within the courtyards of
the Trongsa Dzong. It usually begins on the day
after the Meeting of the Nine Evils, of the
Bhutanese calendar. Falling in November or
December of the international calendar. The
festivities carry on for five days. The first day
religious dances are “chamju” – dances without
masks. On the following days, similar dances as
of the Thimphu and Paro Tshechu’s are
performed. A thongdrol is unfurled on the last
day