Bhutan is more than a sensation. With a population of just less than 700,000 people, the Himalayan Kingdom east of Nepal and Sikkim is some 38,394 square kilometers large and dominated by steep and high mountains in the north of the country south of Tibet, while a network of swift rivers form deep valleys in the central part and drain into the Indian plains of West Bengal and Assam in the south.

I gladly jumped on the invitation to attend the 4th South and Southeast Asian Association for the Study of Culture and Religion (SSEASR) Conference being held in the capital Thimphu from June 30 to July 3, 2011. Under the theme “Mountains in the Religions of South and Southeast Asia: Place, Culture, and Power” the international conference was co-sponsored by the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR), hosted and co-organized by the Institute of Language and Culture Studies (ILCS), Royal University of Bhutan, Thimphu, Bhutan.

With a return air ticket by Drukair Royal Bhutan Airlines (some 20,000Baht) and a limited visa approval form, I arrived on June 28 somehow at 4.00 o’clock early morning at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok to check in for flight KB127, which left at 6.50 o’clock on time. There was a short transit stop at Dhaka International Airport in Bangladesh before landing at Paro International Airport 10.40 local time. Upon arrival immigration officers endorse your visa approval form and stamp your passport for a fee of 20USD.

The Paro valley, some 2,280 meters high and located in the western part of Bhutan, is more than beautiful. It is visually stunning and an amazing introduction into a hidden Shangri-La. Dominated by a huge fortress called “dzong” an abundance of rice fields can be seen, while small hamlets and isolated fruit farms dot the forested landscape. Bhutan’s official language is called “Dzongkha” because it is the language spoken in such a fortress, while the Bhutanese proudly call their country “Druk Yul” or Land of the Thunder Dragon and themselves as Drukpas.

The distance from Paro International Airport, which is also served from Kolkata, Delhi, and Kathmandu, to Thimphu is some 50 kilometers. Passing Paro town, which was only built in 1985, and since 2005 has undergone unprecedented development, the road to Thimphu reaches the Chuzom intersection, where the Paro River meets the Thimphu River and the road splits south to Phuentsholing at the Bhutanese-Indian border.

From a flag-poled bridge, people can see three chortens (pagodas) with different styles of architecture commonly found in the country, such as Nepalese, Tibetan and Bhutanese. Seen geographically, Nepalese live in the sub-tropical south, while Tibetans and Bhutanese live further up north.

The narrow road to Thimphu is embedded in a rather arid and rocky landscape and ends at a gate of the new expressway, which cuts through the rice fields, leading to Thimphu town in 15 minutes, which is becoming more and more urbanized. The altitude is here 2,350-2,450 meters, while the town counts 100,000 inhabitants.

The best way to explore Thimphu is by foot. Along the main street Norzim Lam there are the clock tower square, antique shops, art galleries, a policed roundabout, the Plums Café, a myriad of small hotel-restaurants and shopping centers. I settled down in the Tandin Hotel, where nice rooms were available for up to 20USD. Nearby were an Internet place, a cinema, as well as “The Hub” as a typical entertainment place. Even modern discos are popping up in the basement of some hotels. There, you can see young Bhutanese in modern outfit, while during daytime both “Gho” for men and “Kira” for women are the national dress.

The people focus very much on responsible tourism to respect and preserve the culture and traditions within their natural environment. This attitude contributes to the valuable conservation of the natural and cultural heritage and improves the well-being of the citizens within the overall concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH). Actually, Bhutan is known as the place where happiness is more important than money.

The conference started on June 30 at 9 o’clock with an inauguration ceremony at the Royal Institute for Tourism and Hospitality (RITH), located in uphill Motithang, where all the sessions were conducted. Some 220 international delegates from more than 60 countries participated. The program listed four keynote addresses about mountains, which give inspirations and are the link to heaven. After that, some 31 panels followed within the next four days, just to mention a few outstanding presentations and speakers:

1. South Viet Nam: From That Son Mountain to Hoa Hao Budhism by Professor My Van Tran, University of South Australia.
2. Myths and Rites of Mount Kassak in Luang Prabang by Dr. Amphay Dore, Independent Researcher from France.
3. Arunacala, a sacred mountain in South India by Hidenari Nishio, Kinki University, Osaka, Japan.
4. Mountains and their Spirits in Traditional Lahu Cosmography, Belief and Ritual Practice by Professor Anthony Walker, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei.
5. Mountainous rivers, forests, and a thousand shivalingas: defining sacred space in India and Cambodia by Dr. Ratna Lahiri, Independent Scholar, New Delhi, India.
6. The Hintang Archeological Park, Hua Phan, Lao PDR by Dr. Alan Potkin, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA.

Social events included the Welcome Dinner Buffet hosted by Vice Chancellor of the Royal University of Bhutan, Dasho Dr. Pema Thinley, on June 30, Dinner and Cultural Show at the Fine Arts Department on July 1, Local Tour in Thimphu in the afternoon of July 2 including dinner, and last not least, the Farewell Dance Show and Dinner Buffet around a bonfire at RITH on July 3.

After the successful ending of the conference – the 5th SSEASR Conference will be at Manila in the Philippines on 28-31, 2013 – there still was enough time to stay in Thimphu and during sightseeing, the following places should not to be missed:

1. National Memorial Chorten: The white-washed pagoda was built in 1974 by Her Majesty Ashi Phuntsho Choden Wangchuk in the memory of her son, Bhutan’s late 3rd King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, who is regarded as the father of modern Bhutan. The painting and statues inside the monument provide deep insight into the Tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism (Vajrayana).
2. Semtokha Dzong: Built in 1629 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who united Bhutan as a national state, the impressive fortress is a treasure house of “mandala” and “thangka” paintings about seven kilometers away from Thimphu.
3. Vegetable Market: Every weekend, many farmers and small business vendors gather on the bank of the Thimphu River to sell their products and souvenir articles.
4. Tashicho Dzong: Known as “fortress of the glorious religion” the dzong was rebuilt and redesigned in 1955 after moving the capital to Thimphu from Punakha further east. It houses the main secretariat building and the central monk body in the summer months. The dzong is also open to visitors with a special permit or during the annual Thimphu Tshechu Festival, where a series of traditional dances are performed by trained dancers and monks.

Time to leave Thimphu came quickly. I took the short time to inspect the luxury Amankora Resort, a 16-suite lodge close to the capital’s sights, while remaining a quiet retreat. I met with its American GM Mr. John E. Reed, who revealed that Amankora offers guided treks and excursions by car throughout the pristine valleys of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey Phobjikha, and Bumthang. Reasons to come back as quick as possible!

On July 5, there was a post-conference tour to Paro, which I could join to spend the last night in Bhutan there to explore the place more intimately. The buses left early in the morning on 8.00 o’clock from Thimphu and we reached Drukgyel Dzong, some two and half hours later. This dzong was originally built in 1646 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Nmagyal to commemorate his victory over a Tibetan invasion. The dzong caught fire in 1951 and now only ruins remain, but the dzong is located at a strategic point, where the trade route from Tibet enters Paro valley. On a clear day, one can see the beautiful view towards the majestic mountain Jomolhari, which is more than 7,300 meters high.

The highlight of every visit in Paro is the sightseeing place of the famous Taktsang Monastery, also called Tiger’s Nest. Built amazingly on a cliff, it is said that Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava arrived here on the back of a tigress in the 8th century to spread Buddhism. The monastery built later in 1692 caught fire in April 1998 that damaged the main structure of the building and some religious objects, but the monastery has been restored to its former glory and can be reached on a well maintained path some 800 meters above the valley floor. Padmasambhava had died in Nepal but his body was brought back to Taktsang and is now sealed inside a chorten.

We also made a stop at Kyichu Lhakhang, which is one of the 108 temples built by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gyampo in the 7th century to subdue the ogress that lay across the whole of the Himalaya. In the main twemple hall, one could marvel at a statue of the goddess Tara and Mahakala, the god of time and death.

Due to a nearby cremation ceremony, we were eager to leave the place very early to reach Paro town and have a last lunch buffet with cheese and green chilies at the Holiday Home Hotel. The whole afternoon was then reserved to visit the National Museum, which was located on a ridge, overlooking the huge Paro Dzong in the valley.

Unlike the rectangular shape of the Bhutanese dzongs, the museum’s collection is housed in the conical Ta Dzong built in the 17th century as a watch tower. Since 1968, Ta Dzong was established as the National Museum of Bhutan and holds a fascinating exhibition of cultural and artistic artifacts of Bhutanese civilization, heritage and traditions, such as handcrafted copper teapots, bronze urns, arms, jewelry, textiles, thankas and Buddhist sculpture, iron chains and even a gallery of Natural History.

Furthermore, there is a permanent mask exhibition in a building nearby. There is great merit in viewing the sacred mask dances and even merely watching such dances is considered a spiritual experience in itself. Another special exhibition on some royal photographs highlights the past centenary celebration in 2008, which marks a century of peace and prosperity for the people of Bhutan under the rule of their “Five Monarchs” and also ensures a bright and prosperous future.

The current monarch, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk ascended to the Golden Throne at a very historic moment, when the country had just adopted a kind of democracy. In October 2011, the King will marry accordingly and is ready to maintain the precarious balance of social prosperity among the people of Bhutan in spite of the advancements in the field of economic development.

The last night in the country I was lucky to spend in the prestigious “Hotel Olathang Paro” which was established in 1974 for the guests invited to the coronation of the 4th King of Bhutan His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuk, who critically acclaimed the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH), which places happiness of the people above all other development achievements and is now well received globally.

The architectural heritage design of the hotel within a pine forest on top of a small hill presents a purely Bhutanese style difficult to forget. At the same time, the modern “dewa” Spa & Wellness touches on the traditional Bhutanese art of healing and ensures guests a very comfortable stay. When I left the Paro valley next morning with Drukair flight KB140 at around 11.00 o’clock via Gauhati in Assam, India to Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok, I really left an unbelievable paradise behind.