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Books : History : Asia : Bhutan
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"The bible of Bhutan guide books."—Travel & Leisure Shoe-horned into the Grand Himalayas, Bhutan—Land of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon—is a fiercely independent kingdom that celebrated its centenary in 2008. Isolated, charming, peaceful, and religious, the Bhutanese are a pragmatic, sensitive people who take from the West what will benefit their country and leave the rest. The countryside is pristine, the lifestyle and culture have been preserved for centuries, and the love of life is abundant among the people. Few outsiders know Bhutan as intimately as Françoise Pommaret.
Includes:- Passionate introduction to Bhutanese culture and history by resident author—the world's leading expert on Bhutan
- Literary extracts with an historical perspective
- Trekking and mountaineering in this spectacular kingdom
- National symbols of Bhutan, ceremonial scarves, the Dzongkha language, chortens and mandalas
- Archery and other national sports, plus much more
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This is an account of a complex nation on the cusp of tradition and modernity. Bhutan is distinctive - from its social structures to its development philosophy of Gross National Happiness. The authors blend narrative about the country's history, religon and arts with personal anecdotes.
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From the snowcapped Himalayas and the Indus valley, to the Ganges delta and the Sri Lankan forests, the Indian subcontinent is home to 13% of the world's species of birds and thousands of birders and ecotourists flock to the area every year. This field guide will be indispensable to those who wish to find and identify the many species of avifauna of the Indian subcontinent and environs.Featuring more than 150 color plates by eminent bird illustrators from Europe and India, it depicts all the known species in the region, ranging from the Himalayan Snowcock in the north to the Sri Lanka Spurfowl in the south. The plates include all relevant identifiable subspecies, as well as ages and sexes. It contains hundreds of range maps and the succinct text on the facing pages covers identification, voice, and distribution. Specially designed for use in the field, it is a compact version of the landmark A Guide to the Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, hailed on its publication as a "stunning book" that "advanced the cause of Indian birding by 20-30 years." With its modest price, small trim size, and sturdy, weather-resistant binding, this field guide is the one volume that every adventurous traveler to the Indian subcontinent must have.
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In Bhutan, progress is measured in terms of "Gross National Happiness" and Thimphu, the capital city, has no traffic lights. This mesmerizing book captures the beauties of this remote kingdom, the only independent country to support Buddhism as the official state religion. Readers are transported to ancient fortresses and temples, colorful festivals, and religious ceremonies, as well as to isolated communities along the roof of the world. Featuring photographs taken over the course of three years, the book guides readers through areas normally off-limits to Western visitors, and encompasses a wide range of landscape, portrait, and editorial photographs.
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Tucked away between China and India in the heart of the Himalayas, Bhutan remains a relatively little-known country. Few photographers have been granted permission to enter this remote kingdom, where life quietly unfolds to the rhythm of tradition amid the magnificent, unspoiled landscape. Nearly twenty-five years ago, Matthieu Ricard went to Bhutan to study with Dilgo Khyenste Rinpoche, a highly revered Tibetan Buddhist master and teacher. During this time, he also came to know the royal family. He has continued to return to Bhutan throughout his life, discovering on each occasion more of its treasures.
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A guide to the ornithology of Bhutan, a country of great physical beauty and, unusually, one with much of its primary forest intact. It covers all 555 species regularly recorded in the country and includes a list of vagrants.
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A survey of the countries of the Indian subcontinent covers geography, demographics, agriculture, history, politics, culture, religion, arts, literature, and science.
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The hereditary monarchy of the Wangchuk dynasty was established in 1907 in the independent Himalayan state of Bhutan, thus introducing one of the world's most recent experiments in kingship. The new order quickly replaced a theocracy founded in the seventeenth century by the first of the "Dharma Rajas", a lineage of reincarnating lamas known by the title of Shabdrung. The first king of the new dynasty, Ugyen Wangchuk (1862-1926), was a charismatic figure who came to power against a turbulent background of incessant and complex feuding. He adopted as the unique symbol of his authority a crown surmounted by the head of a raven. The bird represents a form of Mahakala, Bhutan's guardian deity. The prototype of the founding monarch's Raven Crown had first been devised as a battle helmet for his father, Jigme Namgyel (1825-81). Known as the Black Regent, he had worn it in bloody struggles against his many rivals within the country and against the British who tried, unsuccessfully, to subdue him. The story of the Wangchuk dynasty's rise and triumph moves from a picture of turmoil and chaos to one of relative peace and stability. In contrast with earlier published ac- counts based solely on the colonial records of British India, here the narrative is founded on the Bhutanese chronicles which offer a new perspective and bring many new details to light. The ethnic and historical context is outlined before recounting the turbulent career of the Black Regent, followed by the lives and achievements of the first two kings. The book is copiously illustrated with rare historical photographs that have come to light in private and public collections in the United Kingdom. Most of these vivid images have never previously been published. They provide a lively depth and focus to the unfolding narrative.
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This is the most comprehensive photographic guide to the birds of India and the Indian subcontinent. Never before have so many of the region's species been illustrated in one book.The brilliant photographs--most of which appear here for the first time--have been carefully selected to show not only the most common Passerine and non-Passerine species, but also more elusive species and distinctive subspecies. An up-to-date distribution map and a unique code indicating frequency and global status are provided for each of the 668 species covered. The concise text provides vital information on habitats, habits, and voice to ensure accurate identification.
Designed for easy use, the book places photos and maps in close proximity to provide an at-a-glance overview for each species. Birds are indexed by both their common and scientific names.
This is an essential volume for all birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts as well as for anyone traveling to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Bhutan.
Bikram Grewal has written more than twenty books on India, including three guides to its birds. He is a biodiversity expert for the Indian government. Bill Harvey is a lifelong birdwatcher who has lived throughout the Indian subcontinent. He published the first authoritative checklist on the birds of Bangladesh as well as numerous articles and is a cofounder of the Northern Indian Bird Network. Otto Pfister is a wildlife photographer whose work has appeared in numerous publications. He has also published several illustrated articles on birds.
- Gorgeous full-color photographs
- Distribution maps for all species
- Abundance icons
- Photographs, text, and maps in close proximity for at-a-glance overview
- Expert text aids species identification
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Memoirs portraying life in Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan in the 1930s.
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During the early 1990s, about 95,000 people arrived in eastern Nepal. They claimed to have come from Bhutan, and they alleged that they had been forced out of their homelands by the Bhutanese government. Very few believed them, and even now, not a single one of these refugees has returned to Bhutan. This book explains who these people are and why they left Bhutan. It also examines the broader implications of their story for a world awash with refugees.
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Bhutanese textiles are among the last of the major arts of Asia to gain recognition in the West, and this is the first book to present this outstanding art form in its cultural and historical context. Bhutan's textiles, especially the intricate brocades and complex supplementary-warp patterns, are unmatched anywhere in the world. This art, with a steadily growing and devoted following in the West and Japan, has become Bhutan's most powerful emblem abroad.This volume, first published in 1994 (now reprinted in 2008) in conjunction with a special exhibition organized by the Peabody Essex Museum of Salem, Massachusetts, covers all aspects of Bhutan's textiles and weaving heritage, from the central role of women - more than 80 percent of Bhutanese women contribute to their household's income by weaving - to fibers, dyes, and looms, to the functioning of beautiful cloth as an item of trade and an indicator of historical change and social identity. This copiously illustrated book reveals the richness, originality, and striking beauty of Bhutanese textiles. Examples come from the Peabody Essex Museum, which holds the largest such collection of any North American museum, and public and private collections in Bhutan, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The illustrations are supplemented by field photographs and rare archival images.
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Birdwatchers have long waited for a comprehensive and up-to-date identification guide for the Indian subcontinent. This exhaustively researched and beautifully produced book will finally meet that need. Written by three leading experts on the region--Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp, and Tim Inskipp--the book provides complete information about the 1,300 species of birds found in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The guide is firmly rooted in the authors' extensive field experience, reflected in the accuracy and fullness of their bird descriptions.The guide features more than 150 color plates by eminent bird illustrators from Europe and India that depict all the species in the region, ranging from the Himalayan Snowcock in the north to the Sri Lanka Spurfowl in the south. The plates include all relevant identifiable subspecies, as well as ages and sexes. The text consists of a detailed identification section, discussing the differences between similar species and containing descriptions of vocalizations, habits, habitat, breeding, distribution, and status. There are distributional maps for nearly all species. And the authors' introduction provides useful background information about such subjects as conservation, the history of ornithology on the subcontinent, and the climate. A detailed bibliography provides an introduction to the prolific literature on the subcontinent.
This is a landmark publication that will be enthusiastically welcomed by all birdwatchers with an interest in the extraordinary variety of birds in this vast and diverse region.
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This catalogue accompanies The Dragon's Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan, one of the most highly anticipated exhibitions of Buddhist art to be held in recent times. For over five years, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, under the direction of Dr. Stephen Little, has conducted ambitious fieldwork and research in Bhutan. Enjoying a close working relationship with the Royal Government of Bhutan, the Honolulu Academy of Arts research teams have been given unprecedented access to the nation s treasuries of sacred art and dance.The Dragon's Gift offers a rare opportunity to introduce, to the wider international audience, some of the most sacred Buddhist images of Bhutan. From the wealth of material surveyed, the organizers of the exhibition have selected over one hundred objects of superior aesthetic achievement and deep religious significance, the vast majority of which have never before been seen in the West. Nearly all of the works of art presented in this catalogue are from active temples and monasteries and remain in ritual use. Most of the items are painted or textile thangkas or gilt bronze sculptures which date primarily from the 17th to the 19th centuries a golden age in the Buddhist arts of Bhutan. Ranging from depictions of Tantric deities to individualized portraits of Buddhist masters, the exhibition and catalogue present outstanding works of art with a wide iconographic scope. For the Buddhist people of Bhutan, these sacred items are conceived as supports along the journey to enlightenment, and are of vital spiritual significance.
Complementing the presentation of sacred works of art is the documentation of the ancient Cham dances of Bhutan, to which the dance preservation team was given privileged entrée. Having documented over three hundred hours of sacred and secular dances, they have made a first assay of one of the few surviving treasures of the trans-Himalayan movement tradition. These differing approaches to the visual and moving arts provide further insight into the unique experience of Buddhism in Bhutan. A brief sampling of the variety of extant dance lineages some many centuries old is included on the DVD contained within the catalogue.
Beautifully illustrated, the catalogue also includes twelve essays contributed by leading Bhutanese and Western scholars, covering various aspects of the Bhutanese arts. Contributors include: Dr. Stephen Little, Ven. Lopon Pemala, Ven. Khenpo Phuntsok Tashi, Terese Tse Bartholomew, John Johnston, Dr. Karma Phuntsho, Dr. David Jackson, Dr. John A. Ardussi, Dr. Yonten Dargye, Dr. Per K. Soerensen, Dorji Yangki, Ephraim Jose, Mark Fenn, and Joseph Houseal.
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There is a misty-eyed vision of Bhutan which has popularized it as 'the last Shangri-la', the hidden Himalayan jewel, the travel destination of celebrities and unique-experience-hunters. We are not entirely comfortable with this image. Bhutan has undoubtedly become the focus of considerable media attention in the last few years. Articles appear regularly on its substitution of happiness for money as the indicator of the country's wealth. Television programs, books, visits by personalities - all have served to bring Bhutan to global awareness. This attention only serves to increase pressure on the culture to become like any other. How has Bhutan resisted the impact of globalisation which has had such a homogenizing affect on most other countries in the world? A practice, until recently, of self-imposed isolation from the rest of the world, the Buddhist tradition, and the lack of any successful foreign invader have combined to produce a living culture that is as unique as it is fragile. This fragility suggested the need to document a context that seemed on the verge of change. Our second visit in 2008 confirmed our sense of immanent change, as we could see for ourselves the ways in which 'international culture' was beginning to appear: the first escalator in the country, widening the main road from single track to dual carriageway, the first democratic election, the availability of satellite television, and internet expansion...Nevertheless, we continue to feel that in Bhutan there is a different 'way of knowing.' We have worked with staff at the University to try to capture something of this in three different forms: / chapters written by Bhutanese individuals about the culture, landscape, education and folklore / extracts from interviews with university staff and associates to draw out particular characteristics of Bhutan which would be of interest to Western readers / photographs of Bhutan which provide a different 'view' of the country to complement the text. The subject matter has been chosen by Bhutanese staff at the Royal University of Bhutan as an expression of their understanding of their own land. There are conventional travel books about Bhutan available and we have not attempted to contribute to this literature. Bhutan: Ways of Knowing is a book which reflects Bhutanese understanding of their country. We hope that you will find these contributions as interesting and thought-provoking as we do, and that you, too, will find a different way of knowing about Bhutan.
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Katie Hickman, author of the best–selling Daughters of Britannia, offers a captivating record of her travels through the forbidden Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
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This book is a field guide to the mammals of this unique subcontinent and includes the best places to watch them. It describes each of the 100 plus species that can be recognized in the field, including identification, habitat, range, behavior, diet, breeding, status, and similar species. The Field Guide also contains color illustrations of each mammal as well as tracks of the more prominent species, and mammal lists and maps for each national park.
Key Features
* The only current guide to mammals of the region
* Contains color pictures and full text on the 106 larger species likely to be encountered
* Includes drawings of tracks of key species to aid identification
* Presents full details of 23 parks and reserves, with location maps, visiting details and species lists for each
* An authoritative and beautifully illustrated field guide to the larger mammals of the Indian subcontinent.
* Includes almost all the species that can be identified in the field easily.
* Concise descriptions of each species, including identification, habitat, range, behaviour, diet, breeding, status, and similar species.
* Describes and maps all the finest national parks and protected areas in the subcontinent, specially chosen for superior mammal watching.
* Tracks of a selection of mammals to aid their identification in the field
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This study of South Asia analyzes both the riches and struggles of the past and the problems and achievements of the present. It describes the painful struggles for independence, and today's political and economic realities.
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In the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, Buddhist values guide everyday life, and the rulers are believed to have a special relationship with gods and saints. Here are Bhutan's arts, architecture, rivers, streets, and scenes from Bhutanese daily life, presented by a Himalayan scholar. One hundred and forty color photographs show the landscapes, monasteries, dwellings, people, and craftwork of this remote and seldom visited country.