Bhutan - Phobjika

These two girls, both middle schoolers, took me to the home of the girl on the right. While the family was not expecting a western visitor - indeed, this may never have happened before - they were gracious in inviting me in and showing me around.

The house was sizeable in that the family dwelling was on the top floor over the barn area below. This arrangement is typical, I think, for Bhutanese farmhouses.
Although electricity is being extended to parts of rural Bhutan it is not in Phobjika * nor will it be, so this house was quite dark. Rice was being prepared for the noon meal on the small stove seen above and smoke permeated the main room. There was a cupboard against the wall of this room and mats that would be unrolled for the meal were stored against the wall. An adjoining room held the family altar.

The following is from my friend, and published writer, Sangay Wangchuck:

An altar for a Bhutanese Buddhist is one of the ways that the
parents bring the children in line with the religion. Young children would
normally be asked to do the daily morning offerings which consists of water
offering, incense and tea offering. Parents would also ask the children to
offer the first harvest on the altar as a mark of gratitude. Even in urbans
like Thimphu, we do the same. We buy fresh fruits, wash them and ask the
children to offer some on the altar before we consume the rest. We have the
elaborate altars in our old homes and in urban areas, rich folks would have
exquisite altars. For common folks even a calender depicting a deity or a
Buddha would suffice.

In a future post I pass on more about altars and more from Sangay.

* why electricity will not come to Gantay and Phobjika will follow next! You might be surprise ( and impressed ) by the reasoning.