Bhutan Culture & Festivals

Traditional Dress

Traditional dress is mandatory when visiting Dzongs, official government buildings, religious institutions, and formal events. Many Bhutanese wear traditional dress daily.

Gho (Men)

A knee-length robe tied at the waist with a woven belt (Kera). The large front pouch (Toego) traditionally stores items like betel nuts and money. The Kabney scarf worn over the Gho signals rank and status:

• White Kabney — commoners and general public
• Orange/Saffron — Ministers and senior officials
• Red — Dzongdas and Thrizins
• Yellow — Druk Gyalpo (King) and Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot)

Kira (Women)

An ankle-length dress secured at the shoulders with silver brooch-like pins (Koma) and at the waist with a belt (Kera). Worn with an inner blouse (Wonju) and a jacket (Tego). The Rachu scarf is worn over the shoulder.

Visitors are not required to wear traditional dress but are warmly welcomed if they do. Gho and Kira can be rented from shops near major Dzongs for festival visits.

Dzongs — Fortress Monasteries

Dzongs are the architectural symbols of Bhutan — massive whitewashed fortress-monasteries that serve as both administrative and religious centres for each district.

• Tashichho Dzong — Seat of government and the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot). The Thimphu Tsechu is held here.
• Rinpung Dzong — Spectacular fortress above the Paro River. Hosts the famous Paro Tsechu.
• Punakha Dzong — Built at the confluence of the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers. The winter seat of the Je Khenpo and one of Bhutan's most beautiful buildings.
• Wangdue Phodrang Dzong — Destroyed by fire in 2012 and meticulously rebuilt; reopened in 2024.
• Trongsa Dzong — The ancestral home of the Wangchuck royal family, commanding a dramatic hilltop position.

National Sport: Archery

Dha (archery) is the national sport of Bhutan and deeply embedded in the culture. Traditional Bhutanese archery uses long bamboo bows and shoots at targets placed 140 metres apart. Matches are festive social events accompanied by singing, dancing, and colourful team attire.

Other traditional sports include:

• Khuru — Darts thrown at a wooden target; very popular in eastern Bhutan
• Digor — Stone throwing (similar to shot put)
• Pundo — Stone shot put

Religion

Bhutan is the world's only Vajrayana Buddhist country at the state level. The majority of Bhutanese follow the Drukpa Kagyu school of Vajrayana Buddhism, introduced by Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century and institutionalised by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the 17th century. A significant minority in the south practice Hinduism.

Buddhism permeates every aspect of life: prayer flags flap from hilltops and mountain passes; prayer wheels line river banks; chortens (stupas) stand at trail junctions; and the drone of monks chanting can be heard from monasteries across the valleys.

Etiquette & Do's and Don'ts

• ✅ Do remove your shoes before entering a monastery or lhakhang
• ✅ Do walk clockwise around chortens, mani walls, and temples
• ✅ Do accept food/drink with both hands or with the right hand supported by the left
• ✅ Do ask permission before photographing monks, festivals, or religious objects
• ❌ Don't point feet at religious objects, images, or people
• ❌ Don't touch religious artefacts without permission
• ❌ Don't smoke inside or near temples, monasteries, or Dzongs
• ❌ Don't wear revealing clothing near religious sites
• ❌ Don't kill insects or animals — even accidentally — in or near monasteries