My Favorite place in the world

This June, I made the annual trip to the place which has been my home ever since I was three. The place, which, though a foreign land, has embraced me & many Indians like me with open arms. That place is “Samtse”, a sleepy little town on the South West part of Bhutan.
Due to the close relationship between India & Bhutan, we never at any point in time felt that we were living in a foreign land. Myself & my two brothers, along with several children like us used to study in a school just across the border in India. Cars used to cross the border with a wave of hand and border formalities were non- existent.

That does not mean that there are no differences. Once the border is crossed, a real change comes in the form of the view. Bhutan has lush green landscape. While the national language is Dzonka, English is widely spoken and most can speak and understand Hindi as well.
The first thing that would strike you if you ever visit Bhutan is the dress that everyone around is wearing. The striking dress of the men is called the gho or bagho which is something similar to the Scottish kilt. With length up to the knee, the upper part of the dress wraps around the body and can be loosened as per the size & fitting. There are many pockets in the inside. Its surprising how much can be stored in these pockets. The women wear the kiras which are full length unstitched garments fastened at the shoulders by two hook like clips called komas and a waistband which is also of a similar cloth. Added to this is a blouse and a jacket which completes the dress. The range of colours is varied and the dress material fine. By law, and custom, every government worker, every teacher and almost everyone holding public office has to wear the traditional dress. Even school uniforms conform to this dress code.
It’s the same with the buildings. Every building has to have the basic traditional form. This is mandated by law so there are no "modern" looking buildings. There is a degree of uniformity and tradition that shows through.
While radio broadcasting began in 1973, Television was introduced only in 1999, because for years Bhutan had a deliberate policy of isolation, fearing that outside influences would adulterate the culture & the people. English newspapers used to be printed just once a week. Reason? "There is no need to know too much. We are a happy & content people. I remember the days of antennas which had to be hidden under the roofs & most of the times we had very bad picture quality. Also, there were days when the antennae needed to be dismantled when we got wind of inspections about to take place. Things are so very different now, with several cable operators & internet connectivity. In fact last year the monarchy voluntarily conducted elections in Bhutan & elected a general council to run the country.
The climate here is also great. Samtse,unlike the more hilly regions of Bhutan, has a sub-tropical climate & I am sure that if any measurements are ever made, it’ll be second only to Cherrapunji in terms of the amount of rainfall it gets. Staying in Samtse during the rainy season means to have fog in the morning, short and rather strong rain periods throughout the day and sometimes really heavy storms with immensely wild thunders at night. But I love the rainy season in Samtse. During the night, the rain drumming on the tin roof is the most soothing lullaby. Of course my husband who has grown up in Kolkata has an entirely different view & can never understand why I get the soundest sleep with so much of noise!!
Bidding adieu every year is a pain. But I know that I’ll be back in another year’s time. Now my four year old son shares my love for Samtse & wants to spend every school vacation there with his Grandparents.