Nestled in the lofty ridges of the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is often called the 'enchanting Himalayan jewel' of Asia. Surrounded by China (Tibet) in the north and northwest and by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal and Sikkim in the east, south and west, the 'Kingdom of the Himalayas' is comparable to Switzerland in all respect.

Nature swathed in mystery and beauty, perhaps looks at her best in Bhutan. Amidst the luscious greenery of the virgin forest, one gets mesmerized by the musical confetti of the chirping birds and the gurgling mountain streams that glide down the forested slopes. The splendour of Nature bursts into bloom in autumn when the valleys become the abode of exotic flowers.

The name 'Bhutan' appears to be derived from the Sanskrit term 'Bhotant' meaning 'the end of Tibet' or from 'Bhu-ttan' meaning 'highland'. Historically, the Bhutanese have referred to their country as 'Druk Yul' or 'the land of the Thunder Dragon'. Mystery veils Bhutan's distant past, as precious, irretrievable documents were lost in natural calamities. Early records suggest that scattered clusters of inhabitants had settled around 1,400 years ago.

Like its flora and fauna, the Kingdom is rich in heritage and culture. From brilliant architecture to a simple piece of artifact Bhutan can take pride of its aesthetic splendour. Every building of the kingdom is adorned with patterns of rich colours and unique structural design. Like its architecture, art and crafts are important aspects of Bhutanese culture, which depict the spiritual depth of Bhutanese life. The 'Thangka' religious paintings, bamboo and cane weaving, hand woven textiles called 'Kushu Tharas' and gold and silver ornaments are simply the source of pleasure for the connoisseurs.

Although a small kingdom, Bhutan is affluent with diverse culture and heritage. With a population of 700,000 there are about seven types of culturally diversified people namely the Layaps and Lunaps in the North West, the Ngalops of western region, the Khengpas and Dungsampas of south east, the Lhotsampas of Nepali origin in the south, the central region of Bumthaps and Mangdeps, the eastern region of Sharchops, the Kurteps of north east, the Merap and Saktenpas of the far east. Dzongkha is the national language of Bhutan, which is quite different from Bumthap, Kurtoep, Mangdep, Sharchop, Brokha, Chhalip, Nepali and others.

Bhutan is a kingdom of festivals. "Tshechus" is the main festival, which offers an opportunity to experience the extraordinary. "Tshechus" is celebrated for several days to commemorate the great deeds of Saint Padsambhava. There are other festivals like Punakha Dromcha, Chorten Kora, Gomokora Tsechu and others celebrated throughout the year. For the Bhutanese the festivals are genuine manifestations of year old religious traditions and the occasion to celebrate 'unity in diversity'.