Beautiful Bhutanese

I look into the eyes of the Bhutanese, and even though many are strangers to me, I sense familiarity. Sometimes people stare at me, perplexed. Perhaps they are seeing a young woman with white colored skin for the very first time, or perhaps they are wondering what purpose I am fulfilling here in Bhutan. Others smile gently at me, as if they are welcoming me and acknowledging my stay in their precious land. I'd like to share with you a few of my favorite photos of children, families, and villagers whom I've come across during my travels in Bhutan. The beautiful faces of the Bhutanese express a gentle form of kindness and warmth, inspiring me to search inside for the ability to share that same beauty ...

Painting with Style

Traditional designs grace the exterior of all buildings in Bhutan. Walking through the streets of the capital and visiting temples in the countryside reveal the intricacy of Bhutanese design. Floral patterns are painted and engraved alongside Buddhist symbols in order to preserve the Kingdom's rich culture.

Protecting a house with a painting of a phallus is believed to ward off evil spirits. Dating back to the 15th century, this practice is especially common in the rural areas of Bhutan.

Shoes are drying on a windowsill of a flat in Thimphu town.

In a clockwise direction, a villager is circling the Kurjey Temple in Bumthang,

the holy center of Bhutan.

Closer appreciation of the intricate design painted on the doorway to the Kurjey Temple.

A Bhutanese painter shows off his style!

Blowing Prayers through the Wind

The influence of Mahayana Buddhism is evident throughout Bhutan. Monasteries seated high on the edges of the mountainsides serve as sanctuaries to monks and pilgrims. Miniature chortens peek out from the crevices of hillsides. Prayer flags fabricated from vertical or horizontal strips of blue, green, red, yellow, and white cloth are hung throughout the countryside. The five elements of nature, water, wood, fire, earth, and iron, are represented by each color. Symbols of Buddhist wisdom, directions, and meditations are embedded within each flag. Through the blowing of the wind, prayers are sent out through the Himalayan Hills for the goodwill of all sentient beings. I'd like to share the beauty and mantras of these prayer flags with you ...


White prayer flags, appearing lilac in color now many years after being erected, surrounding a chorten in the marshes of the Phobjikha Valley



The tree serves as the center of the flags: Kharbandi Goemba



Blowing through the wind above Dochu-La


Mantras embedded within each flag



Horizontal and vertical flags at the base of the hills beneath a monastery