The Culture of the Yeti lands

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The Yetilands of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and Sikkim, are lands full of unique culture.

Tibet is the most famed of these nations for it's culture, a land labeled the roof of the world, with it's huge plateau being on average 4000 to 5000 metres above sea level, a land form finding no comparison in terms of size and height across the Earth. It is as unique as the cultures of the Innuit and Bushmen, as they were created out of as near a exceptional adversity. With it also being among the furthest towards the Sky, so in that sense it is among those most of out of this world. It's capital Lhasa is the site of outstanding Potala Palace, a building with 13 floors, that is 117 metres high, and 360 metres west-east, which sits 3700 Metres high above sea level. The first palace was built by the local populace on order of the ruling monks of the time in the 1650s, with some parts extended and add into the 20th Century.

Potala Palace A Street in Lhasa Incense in Lhasa

Lhasa is a city now with a population of 200,000 people, with many modern buildings but it still retains many buildings which in the early 20th Century made it appear Medieval to outsiders. Incense still is blown across the old streets of the city as part of the culture.

Traditionally Yak herders, and urban people did their work, and had to pass much to the monks who ruled the nation till the 1950s.
There were some places that were almost permanently green for weeks, or months,
With behind them flat horizon line mountains of snow, covering them permanently white,

But happily even in feudal days Tibet was not a monarchy, it was a state ran in a way far more mystical and republican and oligarchical than that. The Dalai Lama, upto the Chinese occupation from the 1950s used to run the land with the monks. The Dalai lama is said to be the reincarnation of prior Dalai Lamas. There have said to have been 14 Dalai Lamas, who are said to be found by Monks, usually from within Tibet, it happens like this. In the 1930s, on the death of what some call the 13th Dalai Lama, a search party of monks was sent out to find the incarnation of the Dalai Lama, they worked on omens, like where the last embalmed body of the Dalai Lama's head was facing, and dreams of important monks. They went to where the present Dalai Lama, lived as a 2 year old as it looked like one in a Major Monk's dreams places, and they gave the child toys, and the child said it's mine it's mine, about the toys, the prior Dalai Lama had had. They renamed the child Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom. He began a monastic education at 6, and was from then the Dalai Lama. This is not like a monarchy as it is not the case that only a mini master race can be the head of state, theoretically anybody can, and the monks who decide are really just like a club. It is definitely not democracy, but it is said the present Dalai Lama, supports democracy, and opposes the feudalism, practiced in Tibet to 1959. The present Dalai Lama considers himself half-Marxist, half-Buddhist, and has been very willing to make deals with China over Tibet. He would want Tibet to be a democratic nation, with him not holding any official power. From a democratic, pro republican standpoint, I think that is OK, unlike monarchy which always wants to force it's position as head of state of all people including people who oppose it. Plus the fact is from a democratic standpoint, the Monks, are just like a club and clubs should be allowed freedom to do as they wish and choose leaders in their own ways. The club decides it's own rules, and laws as long as they stay within principles of the nation's equality, and freedom principles. That is among the most mystical things about Tibet. And also in a way anybody can become Dalai Lama, in a way. It is a cool thing. It is based on the principles of Buddhism so is like a club, not a self supporting dynasty. The Dalai Lama of 2007 Some Tibetan Monks
The Mongols had had a relationship as patron of the Grand Lama, of Tibet,
From their invasion,
From 1240,
And these were from 1260s given control of a united Tibet, with their religious order,

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They were impressive in telling the Mongolians to stop throwing Chinese into rivers, according to some,
And saw the religion made Mongolia's
Their family members then led for Centuries,
The leaders of the leading Mongols,
They appoint a head of a new strong Buddhist monastic order, though
The 1st Dalai Lama, of Tibet, in 1578, as they were impressed by the wisdom, or views,
Whose successor's were appointed as specially random, boy reincarnations, by the monks,
Then in 1640, these were selected as the new puppet leaders of the land, they replaced the prior king style way from 1640,

So the Dalai Lama way is better as Monarchy supports a ideal which is totally anti equality and is based on anti equality so can only be a aid to unfairness and a worse society, and always demands others have to accept them, as head of state always whether they like it or not, and like to claim we are not being nice, for not doing so when we are being nice as we are supporting equality and they are not being nice as they oppose it, and are demanding us to see their belief as right when it does not matter really, and are so abusive and demeaning in mind towards those who oppose their view, the idea of this surely is that royals are a mini master race better than all of us, when they are not they are no better than everybody else, when the Dalai Lama can come and be of any person in his land, born to poor rich or pauper parents brought up by monks which was always more allowing of poorer people across time, than aristocratic elitist methods of rule, and which today allows all classes into it, so a club that is able to survive in a society of equality, fraternity and liberty, as long as it accepts democracy and holds by good principles, unlike monarchy just can not.

Other things about Tibet include how in the 19th Century it was still in some ways a hermit state like Korea, was for a long time, at times not really allowing in foreigners all that much. Infact at times missionaries were killed when trying to enter the land, a bad thing, but a indication of why it was so different. This is how many see it with some North Eastern regions of Afghanistan that were animist to the late 19th Century, as a land very much like the land in the movie the Man who would be king. With the unusual way how the Dalai Lama and a group of monks led, and how that system was only established by a Mongol tribe a few centuries ago.

In the 1930s Lhasa was still a city entered in high at times as a snow laden place, that had gates who you enter, into the walls,
The walls surrounding it twice the height of a person,
Seeing women weaving with needles in a brown sack cloth material,
Sitting on the dusty roadside, by trade-shops,
Many wearing flowery robes, surrounded by walls,

The medieval looking walls of the town looking intact in at times very cold high weather. In this more fertile valley than most of Tibet. With people working in the stony ground of streets at times with animals and sometimes making food. Sometimes in cramped conditions.

Peasants in the 1930s at times in sack cloth looking material, with not that much good resources in the time, bang rocks onto the dead & use vultures to decompose them,
In rock strewn upland cold plateaus,

Believing in Bon demon monsters, & such, and the local Tibetan Buddhism. Like when I was in a mountain and looked up at the mountain above and it was covered in clouds and we said just imagine there was a giant behind that, it's a bit like that in former Tibet with myths of white lions in the Mountain and Yetis though not so much now.

In the past Shamans dance in parades, predicting the future,
Some of the religion is to do with having human skulls, to do with the worship,
And some of that dissects towards Tibetan Buddhism, and the Bon religion of before Buddhism in Tibet.

In the highs of Tibet, nomadic ways abound, with people moving from mountain huts to low areas at different times depending on the season.

Yak milk is used for butter, and much food, and yaks are used to a enormous degree by many locals, with churning still done in old ways even in 2007, plus yak butter is used for lights with it the energy for many lights in monasteries and the present community of tens of thousands where the Dalai Lama's monks live in India.

In the 1950s China occupied the land, some say China did some good with it abolishing feudalism, but on the other hand it killed a massive percentages of the population, it fought wars against the population and destroyed monasteries in large numbers. Yaks More Yaks

Since the 1970s and 1980s the oppression of Tibetan Buddhism has decreased massively, and it is the case rebuilding is even allowed of monasteries.

With people still making devotional walks around a icy wavy 4105 metres high lake, That is turquoise,
or icy blue, & circled by the brown dullness, marginally gray,
With icy mountains above,
And has coldness, & people still wearing yak blanket robes, & fires in huts,
Very comforting in the old temperature, there too, that tales a day,
With snow dotted at times on the plateau, & covering it in even colder winters, A Picture of a Lake in Tibet
And some nice grassy areas in summer, as lots of areas are,
The highest a yak has been recorded naturally is 20,000 feet, or 6100 metres, For the yak herders, you see, then too, aswell, then, shaggy haired black cattle yaks, Some 2 horns, on them still only half as tall as people,
& quite dog like with their noses, & tongues, big, For the milking & thats for the, & also such, And yak milk, fur, & such & meat, pounded into butter, or for food,

Sunny seasons have valleys, plateaus,
As green as grassy as any Switz meadow, across their waterfall looking areas,
With modern woolly hats, & even US cowboy hats, that are still popular in Texas,
And horse fairs, & tractors, & such,
And in cloth patterned bags, old herbal remedies,

And also a Tibetan show, of balancing off horses in races, & off yaks, Below the blue, sky, but still many areas are covered in snow, like much in Winter time,
There are also festivals every summer, Where people but Tibetan goods, in bags, of powders etc.,
And also race in tractors,
And also horse events see a horse gallop,
& a person leans off the horse & lift something,
There are also Communist Party, celebrations in them by officials,
But also Tibetan food going round, smell of cooking, in some stalls,
And green & sun such environment, so interesting there, too,
And stalls, with a blue sky,
Tibetan music often involves chanting in Tibetan or Sanskrit, as an integral part of the religion. These chants are complex, often recitations of sacred texts or in celebration of various festivals.

The Tibetan folk opera, known as Ache Lhamo, which literally means "sister goddess", is a combination of dances, chants and songs. The repertoire is drawn from Buddhist stories and Tibetan history.

Tibetan art is deeply religious in nature, from the exquisitely detailed statues found in Gompas to wooden carvings and the intricate designs of the Thangka paintings. Tibetan art can be found in almost every object and every aspect of daily life.

The Cuisine of Tibet is quite distinct from that of its neighbours, since only a few crops (not including rice) grow at such high altitude. The most important crop is barley. Dough made from barley flour, called tsampa, is the staple food of Tibet. This is either rolled into noodles or made into steamed dumplings called momos. Meat dishes are likely to be yak, goat, or mutton, often dried, or cooked into a spicy stew with potatoes. Mustard seed is cultivated in Tibet, and therefore features heavily in its cuisine. Yak yoghurt, butter and cheese are frequently eaten, and well-prepared yoghurt is considered something of a prestige item.

Other Tibetan foods include:

Balep korkun - a central Tibetan flatbread that is made on a skillet rather than in an oven.
Thenthuk - a type of cold-weather soup made with noodles and various vegetables.
In larger Tibetan towns and cities many restaurants now serve Sichuan-style Chinese food. Western imports and fusion dishes, such as fried yak and chips, are also popular. Nevertheless, many small restaurants serving traditional Tibetan dishes persist in both cities and the countryside.

Historically, the population of Tibet consisted of primarily ethnic Tibetans. Other ethnic groups in Tibet include Menba (Monpa), Lhoba, Mongols and Hui. According to tradition the original ancestors of the Tibetan people, as represented by the six red bands in the Tibetan flag, are: the Se, Mu, Dong, Tong, Dru and Ra.

The issue of the proportion of the Han Chinese population in Tibet is a politically sensitive one. The Tibetan Government-in-Exile says that the People's Republic of China has actively pushed into Tibet, Han Chinese migrants, not necessarily for the sake of Tibetans or Han Chinese, but in order to alter Tibet's demographic makeup, just for dominant nation's political and imperial ambitions, while the People's Republic of China has denied this. The Tibetan Government in exile claims more territory than what is modern Tibet.

Gansu, and Yunnan also have some areas claimed by Tibet.

Tibetans are according to many over 90% Buddhist.

Nepal is the most populous of the Yeti lands. It is officially said to be 80% Hindu, 10% Buddhist then Islam, then a form of Hinduism and Buddhism called Kirant, believed in by the Kirant people.

The largest ethnic group is the Chhettri (15.5%). Other groups are the Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8%. Nepali is the national language with 47.8% of the population speaking it as their first language. Other languages include Maithili 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Nepal Bhasa 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5%. Differences between Hindus and Buddhists have been in general very subtle and academic in nature due to the intermingling of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. Both share common temples and worship common deities and many of Nepal's Hindus could also be regarded as Buddhists and vice versa. Buddhists are mostly concentrated in the eastern regions and the central Terrai. Buddhism was relatively more common among the Newar and Tibeto-Nepalese groups. Among the Tibeto-Nepalese, those most influenced by Hinduism were the Magar, Sunwar, Limbu and Rai. Hindu influence is less prominent among the Gurung, Bhutia, and Thakali groups, who employ Buddhist monks for their religious ceremonies.

The northern mountains are sparsely populated. A majority of the population live in the central highlands despite the migration of a significant section of the population to the fertile Terrai belt in recent years. Kathmandu, with a population of 800,000, is the largest city in the country.

The culture of Nepal, the rich cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Nepal, has evolved over centuries. This multidimensional cultural heritage encompasses within itself cultural diversities of various ethnic, tribal, and social groups, located at different altitudes, and is also manifested in various other forms, including music and dance; art and craft; folklore and folktales; languages and literature; philosophy and religion; festivals and celebrations; and foods and drinks.

Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia situated in the Himalayas, and the world’s only Hindu kingdom, shares its borders with the People's Republic of China, (Tibet Autonomous Region) and India, and the population of Nepal mainly consist of Tibeto-Burmans, from the north, and Indo-Aryans from the south. This ethnic diversity, and proximity to neighbouring giant cultures have also influenced the culture of Nepal, and Nepal has inherited several customs and cultural practices from the north (China and Tibet) as well as from the south (India), and over a period of time attuned the same to its own indigenous requirements based on its topography, available resources and climate.

Folklore and folktales have remained an integral part of Nepalese society, and they reveal different dimensions of social and cultural life of the people. Some tales tell of love and affection, others recount hatred and battles, including some which describe demons, ghosts and cannibalism. Nepalese folklores and folktales have various regional and ethnic colors, and some of them are variations of such tales of other areas which have traveled to Nepal, and being retold with changed names and places. There are other tales which are purely of Nepalese origin. Thus, tales in the area of Bhaktapur, complete with princes and rich merchants, can be traced to historical events and sometimes may also be dated.

Like folklores and folktales across the world, such tales from Nepal are also rooted in the ground reality of day-to-day life, these folklores and folktales reflect local lifestyles, activities, beliefs, emotions, feelings, customs, superstitions, and inhibitions. They also celebrate the basic goodness of human nature, and sometimes reveal a deep faith in the supernatural.

Nepalese art and craft reflect the religious themes of Hinduism, Buddhism, and certain location specific depictions. The cultural history of Nepalese art are traditionally divided into five major periods:
Pre-Licchavi, Licchavi, transitional, early Malla, and late Malla periods.

Nepal is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic nation. So, diversity is observed in feeding and drinking habits as well. However, a typical hilli staple food consist of Dal-Bhat (lentil soup and cooked rice) with Tarkari, that is, vegetable curries. This is consumed twice daily, generally in the morning, and shortly after the sunset. Between these main meals, , during mid-day, snacks like chura/Baji (beaten rice) and tea are consumed. Sometimes, meat, eggs, and fish preparations are also consumed. Most of the Nepalese prefer eating with their right hand, though some people have started using spoons, forks, and knives. While eating with hands, lentil soup is poured over cooked rice, a little vegetable curries are added, and the chunk so prepared is consumed by right hand. Millet, maize, wheat bread(roti) are also consumed as staple food in certain areas.

It is also the case that there are still bearded old hermits in Kathmandu & hills,
Some in the capital do not hide,
& live in the markets and such capital,
With white painted faces,

Nepal has a large democracy movement in April 2006 Protests against the monarchy, saw continued crowds increasing to sizes estimated at 100,000 to 200,000 in Kathmandu in various estimates, more than 10% of the city population. On April 21, opposition sources claim that about half a million took part in the protests in Kathmandu. More conservative estimates talk about 300,000.

Later the same evening, King Gyanendra announced that he would return political power to the people and called for elections to be held as soon as possible. He called on SPA to nominate a new Prime Minister of Nepal in a speech on a state-owned television station, saying, "We return the executive power of the country to the people. We request the seven-party alliance to recommend a name for the post of prime minister who will have the responsibility to run the government." The position of Prime Minister has been vacant since 1 February 2005 when King Gyanendra removed Sher Bahadur Deuba from office and dissolved the Nepalese Parliament indefinitely. However, the royal proclamation was rebuffed by the opposition. At 3 p.m. the next day, the leaders of SPA met in the capital, and staked out three demands, namely: reinstitution of the old parliament; formation of an all-party government; and elections to a Constituent Assembly that will draft a new constitution. A Democracy Wall in Nepal

The Sherpas are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalaya. In Tibetan shar means East; pa is a suffix meaning 'people': hence the word sharpa or Sherpa. Sherpas migrated from eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 500 years. A female sherpa is known as a "sherpani".

The term 'sherpa' (the preferred spelling with a lower case first letter) is also incorrectly used to refer to local people, typically men, employed as porters or guides for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas. They are highly regarded as experts in mountaineering and their local terrain, as well as having good physical endurance and resilience to high altitude conditions. However, a sherpa is not necessarily a member of the Sherpa ethnic group

Most Sherpas live in the eastern regions of Nepal Solu, Khumbu or Pharak. However, some live farther west in the Rolwaling valley and in the Helambu region north of Kathmandu. Pangboche is the Sherpas' oldest village in Nepal, and is estimated to have been built over 300 years ago. Sherpas speak their own Sherpa language which in many ways resembles a dialect of Tibetan. They traditionally are traders and farmers, cultivating their high altitude fields of potatoes, barley, wheat and buckwheat. Some live near Namche Bazaar. The Jirels, native people of Jiri, are ethnically related to the Sherpas. It is said that the Jirels are descendants of a Sherpa mother and Sunuwar (another ethnic group of the eastern part of Nepal) father. In India, Sherpas also inhabit the towns of Darjeeling and Kalimpong and the Indian state of Sikkim. The 2001 Nepal Census recorded 154,622 Sherpas in that country, of which 92.83% were Buddhists, 6.26% were Hindus, 0.63% were Christians and 0.20% were Bon. Many Sherpas often drink Tibetan tea a mixture of butter and salt. The light powder-like soil is plowed by a small wooden plow. Traditionally there has been a law code that cutting trees will result in a fine paid in the form of Chang a form of beer. As of this the Sherpa forests are apparently better maintained than some lower areas.

Sikkim residents celebrate all major Indian festivals such as Diwali and Dussera, the popular Hindu festivals. Losar, Loosong, Saga Dawa, Lhabab Duechen, Drupka Teshi and Bhumchu are Buddhist festivals that are also celebrated. During the Losar – the Tibetan New Year in mid-December – most government offices and tourist centres are closed for a week. Christmas has also recently been promoted in Gangtok to attract tourists during the off-season.

It is common to hear Western rock music being played in homes and in restaurants even in the countryside. Hindi songs have gained wide acceptance among the masses. Indigenous Nepali rock, music suffused with a Western rock beat and Nepali lyrics, is also particularly popular. Football and cricket are the two most popular sports.

Noodle-based dishes such as the thukpa, chowmein, thanthuk, fakthu, gyathuk and wonton are common in Sikkim. Momos, steamed dumplings filled with vegetable, buff (buffalo's meat) or pork and served with a soup is a popular snack. The mountainous peoples have a diet rich in beef, pork and other meats. Alcohol is cheap owing to the low excise duty in Sikkim and beer, whiskey, rum and brandy are consumed by many Sikkimese.

Almost all dwellings in Sikkim are rustic, consisting of a bamboo frame, woven with pliable bamboo and coated with cow dung, providing a warm interior. In the higher elevations, houses are made of wood.

In 1947, a popular vote rejected Sikkim's joining the Indian Union and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru agreed to a special protectorate status for Sikkim. Sikkim was to be a tributary of India, in which India controlled its external defence, diplomacy and communication. A state council was established in 1955 to allow for constitutional government for the Chogyal. Sikkim was to be a tributary of India, in which India controlled its external defence, diplomacy and communication. A state council was established in 1955 to allow for constitutional government for the Chogyal, which was sustained until 1973.

The old ruler Tashi Namgyal died in 1963 after suffering from cancer. The last hereditary ruler, the Chogyal, Palden Thondup Namgyal ascended to the throne in 1965. Meanwhile trouble was brewing in the state after the Sikkim National Congress demanded fresh elections and greater representation for the Nepalese. In 1973, riots in front of the palace led to a formal request for protection from India. The chogyal was proving to be extremely unpopular with the people and was considered to be aloof, especially after his marriage to an US citizen, Hope Cooke.

Frosty relations between the chogyal the elected Kazi (Prime Minister) Lendup Dorji, witnessed the attempting of the blocking the meeting of the Legislature. The Kazi was elected by the Council of Ministers which was unanimous in its opposition to the retention of the Monarchy. Matters came to a head in 1975 when the Kazi appealed to the Indian Parliament for representation and change of status to statehood. On April 14, 1975, a referendum merged Sikkim with the union of India. Sikkim became the 22nd Indian State on April 26, 1975. On May 16, 1975; Sikkim was officially a state of the Indian Union. This was promptly recognised by the United Nations and all countries except China.

The position of Chogyal was thus abolished, ending the monarchy. Today Sikkim is a Indian state with a governor appointed by the largest democarcy in the world India,. and has a thriving democratic system with elections and such. So the people are represented in the system not just the views of a king, infact everybody is equal in law, and so it is better now.

While the Bhutanese are free to travel abroad, but Bhutan is seen to be inaccessible by some foreigners. The widespread misperception that Bhutan has set limits on tourist visas, the high tourist tariff and the requirement to go on packaged tours seem to create this impression.

The traditional dress for Ngalong and Sharchop men is the gho, a knee-length robe tied at the waist by a cloth belt known as the kera. Women wear an ankle-length dress, the kira, which is clipped at one shoulder and tied at the waist. An accompaniment to the kira is a long-sleeved blouse, the toego, which is worn underneath the outer layer. Social status and class determine the texture, colours, and decorations that embellish the garments. Scarves and shawls are also indicators of social standings, as Bhutan has traditionally been a feudal society. Earrings are worn by females. Controversially, Bhutanese law now requires these garments for all Bhutanese citizens.

Rice, and increasingly maize, are the staple foods of the country. The diet in the hills is rich in protein because of the consumption of meat, chiefly poultry, yak and beef. Soups of meat, rice, and dried vegetables spiced with chillies and cheese are a favourite meal during the cold seasons. Dairy foods, particularly butter and cheese from yaks and cows, are also popular, and indeed almost all milk is turned to butter and cheese. Popular beverages include butter tea, tea, locally brewed rice wine and beer. Bhutan is the only country in the world to have banned tobacco smoking and the sale of tobacco.

Archery is the national sport of Bhutan and competitions are held regularly.Bhutan's national sport is archery, and competitions are held regularly in most villages. It differs from Olympic standards not only in technical details such as the placement of the targets and atmosphere. There are two targets placed over 100 metres apart and teams shoot from one end of the field to the other. Each member of the team shoots two arrows per round. Traditional Bhutanese archery is a social event and competitions are organised between villages, towns, and amateur teams. There are usually plenty of food and drink complete with singing and dancing cheerleaders comprising wives and supporters of the participating teams. Attempts to distract an opponent include standing around the target and making fun of the shooter's ability. Darts (khuru) is an equally popular outdoor team sport, in which heavy wooden darts pointed with a 10cm nail are thrown at a paperback-sized target ten to twenty metres away. Some Bhutanese landscape, a Bhutanese forest

Another traditional sport is the digor, which can be best described as shot put combined with horseshoe throwing. Football is an increasingly popular sport. In 2002, Bhutan's national football team played Montserrat - billed as 'The Other Final', the match took place on the same day Brazil played Germany in the World Cup Final, but at the time Bhutan and Montserrat were the world's two lowest ranked teams. The match was held in Thimphu's Changlimithang National Stadium, and Bhutan won 4-0. A documentary of the match was made by the Dutch filmmaker Johan Kramer. Rigsar is the new emergent style of popular music, played on a a mix of traditional instruments and electronic keyboards, and dates back to the early 1990s; it shows the influence of Indian popular music, a hybrid form of traditional and Western popular influences. Traditional genres include the zhungdra and boedra.

Chaam or the masked dance is a mystic dance performed during Buddhist festivals.Bhutan has numerous public holidays, most of which centre around traditional seasonal, secular and religious festivals. They include the winter solstice (around January 1, depending on the lunar calendar), the lunar New Year (February or March), the King's birthday and the anniversary of his coronation, the official start of monsoon season (September 22), National Day (December 17), and various Buddhist and Hindu celebrations. Even the secular holidays have religious overtones, including religious dances and prayers for blessing the day.

Masked dances and dance dramas are common traditional features at festivals, usually accompanied by traditional music. Energetic dancers, wearing colourful wooden or composition facemasks and stylised costumes, depict heroes, demons, dæmons, death heads, animals, gods, and caricatures of common people. The dancers enjoy royal patronage, and preserve ancient folk and religious customs and perpetuate the ancient lore and art of mask-making.

Bhutan has just one government newspaper (Kuensel) and two recently launched private newspapers, one government-owned television station and several FM radio stations.

Monasteries and convents are common throughout Bhutan. Both monks and nuns keep their heads shaved and wear distinguishing maroon robes. Their days are spent in study and meditation but also in the performance of rituals honoring various bodhisattvas, praying for the dead, and seeking divine intercession on behalf of the ill. Some of their prayers involved chants and singing accompanied by conch shell trumpets, trumpets made from human thighbones, metal horns up to three meters long, large standing drums and cymbals, hand bells, temple bells, gongs, and wooden sticks. Such monastic music and singing, not normally heard by the general public, has been reported to have "great virility" and to be more melodious than its Tibetan monotone counterparts. Though some say otherwise.