People & Religion

The country with colorful people. Bhutan consists of people with different orgins as such Ngalops, Sharchops & Lhotshampas.

Ngalops: The inhabitants of Western & Central Bhutan are called as Ngalops, "the first risen". They speak Dzongkha, "language of the fortress", which is now the National Language of Bhutan. They are as a whole a Buddhist in religion.

Sharchops: The people of the Eastern Bhutan are generally called as Sharchokpas, "people of the East". They speak sharchop language, but dialects vary from region to region. These valleys have very distinct culture & way of life. The women are known for their cotton & Bhutanese raw silk weaving which supplements the family income. The people of East are all Buddhist in religion.

Lhotshampas: Majority of the Southern Bhutanese are called as "Lhotshampas", people from the southern border. They are of Nepalese orgins and include Sherpas, Tamangs,Gurungs, Rais, Lepchas and Limbus- who are Tibeto-Burmese people. Bahuns and Chetris are Indo-Nepalese. All of them speak different language, now they at large they speak Nepali. Majority of them are Hindu but Sherpas, Lepchas,Tamangs are Buddhist in religion.

Dress:
Men wear a long robe, called "gho", which is tied round the waist with a belt called a "Kera" & woman wear an ankle-length robe called "kira", which is woven in traditional patterns in brightly-colored fabric.

BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE