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Tibetan Cuisine

 

The most important crop in Tibet is barley, and 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 yogurt, butter and cheese are frequently eaten, and well-prepared yogurt is considered something of a prestige item. Butter tea is very popular to drink.

Religious festivals in Bhutan

Once every year, a dzong or most important village may hold a religious festival, or Tsechu. Villagers from the surrounding district come for several days of religious observances and socializing while contributing auspicious offerings to the lama or monastery of the festival. The central activity is a fixed set of religious mask dances, or cham, held in a large courtyard.

Each individual dance takes up to several hours to complete and the entire set may last two to four days. Observation of the dances directly blesses the audience and also serves to transmit principles of Tantric Buddhism to the villagers. A number of the dances can be traced directly back to Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal himself, the founder of Bhutan, and have been passed down essentially unchanged since the mid-17th century.

Prior to dawn on the final day of the tsechu a huge tapestry, or thongdrel, is unfurled in the courtyard of the dzong for several hours. The mere sight of it is believed to bring spiritual liberation. The thongdrel is rolled up before the rays of the morning sun can strike it.

Handcrafted Paper
A tradition in Nepal

Nepalese handicraft history can be traced back to the stone age when human beings were inadequate of tools of any kind. One of the very popular handicraft among Nepal products is the handmade lokta paper. Its tradition has been maintained for centuries by the people of Nepal. For 1500 years handmade paper has been made in mountain area and reflects a unique culture heritage.

Nepalese handicraft history can be traced back to the stone age when human beings were inadequate of tools of any kind. One of the very popular handicraft among Nepal products is the handmade lokta paper. Its tradition has been maintained for centuries by the people of Nepal. For 1500 years handmade paper has been made in mountain area and reflects a unique culture heritage.

Nepalese handicraft history can be traced back to the stone age when human beings were inadequate of tools of any kind. One of the very popular handicraft among Nepal products is the handmade lokta paper. Its tradition has been maintained for centuries by the people of Nepal. For 1500 years handmade paper has been made in mountain area and reflects a unique culture heritage.