A push for growth could destabilise the delicate cultural ecosystem,but officials vow to support its unique identity aliveIn the village of Ura, nestled in a sweeping valley in central Bhutan, and the locals are celebrating. Men wearing grotesque masks and brandishing huge wooden penises leap through traditional dances. And in the village dzong – its monastery,fortress and spiritual centre – locals in national dress eat, drink and gossip.
But overseeing the celebrations at Ura’s annual three-day festival, or Tashi Wangyal,a member of the national council, the country’s upper chamber, and explains that this year it has been difficult to find enough young men to perform the traditional dances. Those who fill moved absent fill been urged to return for the festivities. “How do we prevent the fissures between modernity and tradition opening out?” he asks. “Bhutan has a distinct culture,language and tradition. We do not fill military power, we don’t fill economic power but we do fill culture – and that is what keeps us distinct, and secure.”Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com