Bhutan - inside a farming family's house - a close insight on their life

We were in Phubjikha for a few days essentially to see the famous black necked cranes which come from Tibet for the winter.
One of my real keen interests was to see a local farmer's house. We had gone for a drive as my wife wanted to see the other side of the valley away from the Centre's side. 

Here we were in the village of Kilkhorthang. We saw a seller of vegetables and other items parked alongside a lane. We walked down it. Gradually it became more and more muddy. 




I told our guide to ask any house holder if we could visit their home. We werent going to see any farmer's homes in the city!

We saw a lady coming from a house nearby and he went up to her and requested her if it was possible. It was amazing - she willingly agreed. Photo above is the religious icon as you enter Mrs Budda's house.                                

We climbed a steep staircase to get to her living area. Generally livestock is kept down below but in her case, she used her rooms below as a godown. 

The living room was an amazing sight - hanging like laundry, were rows of turnip leaves. The turnips are used as feed for the animals. The leaves are dried and eaten as a vegetable in the cold winters. 

The room as you see is well organised. TV and special items on one side. 


In the centre is a wood stove which keeps the whole house warm. 

Just off the living room are two rooms where the family stays. There is Mrs Budda, her husband and her family. she has six children - 3 girls and 3 boys. 

Staying with her in her ancestral house, as this is a matrilineal society, are her husband, one son, two daughters and one son in law. 
The picture above and to the right is of one of the bedrooms. There is a large space devoted to the various icons and gods who look after the family. 

                                           











Like most human beings who are not obsessive compulsive, there is clutter in different places around the house - more so as they have little furniture. In a wall space are the music items - a radio and a music system which seemed so unexpected in such surroundings as did the large TV in the other room.                                                                                                                                                                                          Here we have the other view of the living room area. 

True to local custom, Mrs Budda insisted on serving us tea and snacks.  I forgot that they drink butter tea! It took some time and then she used the stick to churn the butter.       
The tea was salty and tasted of butter, naturally. i could just about manage half a cup. The snacks were of three types. the one i had was basically rice crispies.                                                                                                                                                           Bhutanese take red rice and make it crispy by roasting it over a hot fire. Delicious.  I did not try the other items. 
Very sensibly, to keep the tea hot, the cups have covers. Naturally, my wife liked this idea and we bought some to try out at home!!   The tea is strong and reddish in colour.                                  

 

i just love the photo above of the turnip leaves hanging over head. 


The photo on the left is of all the cleaning equipment used in the household. 

The steep stairs to the house


























We spent nearly 30 minutes with our kind hostess. It was a wonderful experience. As you see the final photo with its caption, think of the family in the depth of winter when they have to go outside to sort out their needs!! 


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