Thowadrak at Bumthang

Birds

Rubus ellipticus

Rubus ellipticus or Golden Himalayan Raspberry is plenty nearby Shingkhar Primary School, where I had my primary education. I remember having it in abundance when I was a student there. It boosted our energy, satiated our hunger and quenched our thirst when our home is too far to reach. Experts say that its barks and juice has the medicinal values to treat and cure coughs, fevers, colic and many more. Now is the right time of the year to have it. But students there might have surely missed it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

                                                              

Rubia Codifolia

This is rubia cordifolia, commonly known as Indian madder/common madder or btsod in Bhutanese  and Tibetan terms. Do you know its uses? Please share here.

Rubia Cordifolia

Engineering

What an amazing piece of engineering!

Kreytey

1. This plant is known as 'Kretey' in my mother tongue.

2. Scientific name: Houttuynia cordata.

3. Other name: fish mint, fish leaf, rainbow plant, chameleon plant, heart leaf, fish wort, Chinese lizard tail, or bishop's weed.

4. Uses: Both its leaves and roots can be used as ingredient for making salads/chilli salad and curry.

Curry plant

Dhongdhongma/dhongdhongmai Mēnto in my mother tongue.

Scientific name: Helichrysum italicum

Other name: Curry plant because of the strong smell of its leaves. Other common names include Italian strawflower and immortelle.

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helichrysum_italicum

The sermon of the Lord Buddha 2020

Every fourth day of the sixth month in the Bhutanese calendar is observed as the First Sermon of Lord Buddha, formally known as Drukpa Tshe Zhi. This is a National Holiday in Bhutan to observe this holy occasion.

In His First Sermon, the Buddha said, “I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering,” which is the ultimate goal of Buddhism. The Buddha presented and explained this very doctrine in his major discourses. In this First Sermon at Deer Park, He taught the Four Noble Truths: the existence of suffering, the cause of suffering, that the cause of suffering can end, and the path to the end of suffering.

Therefore, to mark the importance of the day, I was with students and staff. Bjamchoe, a hundred and eight butter lamps were offered followed by prayers.