My pictures with their little stories

Dancer at village festival, Ura valley, Bhutan Fully laden with the elaborate dance gear, colourful to the hilt and graceful, would be sufficient adjectives to describe this dancer at the village festival in Ura valley , Bhutan . ( Bhutan, 2015 )

Tree from forest in Bhutan Spotted this tree while driving through Jigme Singye Wangchuk national park in Bhutan . The sight was so irresistible that I had to stop for a picture. ( Bhutan, 2015 )

Green in Bhutan Green in Bhutan . Rich greens of the forests in different hues. Can anything be more soothing and calming ?

Yak cheese seller in Bhutan We bought some  Yak  cheese ( I had heard much about it so had to try it ) from this sweet young lady who was managing a road side shop with her little one securely tied to her. These  Yak cheese  pieces turned out to be as hard as stone and it took me more than an hour of active salivation with rigorous activity of mouth muscles to extract the pleasure of this unique cheese. ( Bhutan , 2015)

The Girl in Red Came across this girl in her nice red T shirt when we stopped by at a roadside shop to pick up some Yak cheese while driving to Thimpu from Phuentsholing . Her expressive face had curiosity written all over it with her younger brother peeping from behind her. ( Bhutan , 2015)

These kids are in a different world While everyone else is engrossed in the folk dances and other festivities at this village festival in Ura valley, these kids are engrossed in a different world altogether. (Ura valley, Bhutan , 2015)

Grandeur of Punakha The first impression at  Punakha Dzong   is that of the grandeur  and the sheer scale of everything here.  What sinks in is the relative insignificance of the humans due to the size, scale and proportion of the structures around. Second oldest and second largest  dzong  in  Bhutan , it was earlier the winter capital of Bhutan, now the winter capital only of monastic body.  (Punakha, Bhutan, 2015)

View from inside a monastery, Bhutan From darkness to colour, that is how the view was from the upper floor at this monastery in Bhutan . It was around noon when I ventured upto the upper floor which was dark and deserted. When I came to the edge, it was all colourful right in front. May be very symbolic. (Bhutan, 2015)

Kids playing as younger monks watch, Gangtey, Bhutan The monks were out of the monastery at Gangtey ( Phobjikha Valley ) for an evening stroll in the village.  The younger lot watched these kids engage in a friendly fight. (Gangtey, Bhutan , 2015) 

Enjoying the meal at the monastery after the festivities, Bhutan  Everyone who attended the festivities was welcome to partake the meals which were lovingly cooked by the village folk. They were keen that everyone including visitors like us joined in for the meal with some local arak (ara). No wonder Bhutan is seen as such a tourist friendly country. (Bhutan, 2015)

The artistes step out in the monastery grounds for a dance performance After the elaborate dressing up and putting on the fierce looking masks, the artistes step out from the crowded changing room into the monastery ground for a spectacular dance performance to the cheer of waiting crowds which has people from near and far. This ritual will be a colourful extravaganza with a slow beat typical of monastery dances. The young lad on the left announces the arrival of the troupe by beating the metal disc in his hand. (Bhutan, 2015)

Buddhist monks at a monastery, Bhutan The red robes of the young monks in this Buddhist monastery in Bhutan created a stunning contrast against the backdrop of predominantly white majestic walls and steps.  Another sharp contrast was the age - the monastery which is few hundred years old providing a solid foundation to the young energetic monks who are still learning. Interesting to note this contrast operating at two different planes.

At the upper level of the monastery, photo by Milind Sathe As I climbed up to the upper level of the monastery to take few pictures from above, came across this motley group which included western travellers, seekers of spiritual experience, two local young beauties and two bubbly kids. All these characters made a perfect setting for a lively shot with so many little stories in one single frame.

View from above - Dancers at the monastery festival in Bhutan While the local dancers wore spectacularly colourful attires, the wet surface of the floor below prompted me to climb up and take few pictures from above. The pattern of the stone floor which did not have any symmetry looked very inviting after a shower in the morning that day. While the downpour stopped, the clouds were still hovering and this lent a sense of special air to the festive mood already prevalent.

Play of shadows at Paro Dzong It was late afternoon with the sun going down. The shadows of the trees created a lovely visual on the white outer wall of this dzong at Paro . I had to pick this up.

Oil lamps in a monastery, Bhutan Let there be light - near us and afar - to illuminate and guide. These oil lamps in monasteries in Bhutan was a sight which was profound to say the least. Even a confirmed atheist would turn pious in these surroundings. 

Little girl at Ura village festival near Bumthang, Bhutan Noticed that this little girl was watching the festivities alone, away from her friends and family. Her eyes seemed fixated. Could not fathom what she must be thinking.  I wanted to catch her gaze and yet not disturb her. 

Village elders watch festivities at Ura Yakchoe near Bhumthang, Bhutan These village elders had a special enclosure for them and sat patiently watching all the dances at the monastery. They have obviously seen years pass by so few hours did not matter.

Weaving at National Institute of Zorig Chusum, Thimphu Visit to  National Institute of Zorig Chusum (Institute of thirteen arts and crafts) at Thimphu was quite an experience. Bhutan is clearly proud of its culture and heritage and makes sure that it is not only protected but there is honour and dignity associated with it. 

Rhododendron in Pine Forest I did not find rhododendron flowers to be very attractive but surely their bright red clusters created a nice visual contrast to an otherwise green background of bushes, trees and forests - all in different shades of green. That is where they stood out.