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Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

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Policy Brief: Damkar ritual marks beginning of rice transplantation in western Bhutan

Rituals and traditions play important parts in the lives of people as well as in the lives of the communities in which they are embedded. Rituals are predetermined and well-established pattern of behaviors, which may be verbal, physical, or symbolic in nature, and which are carried out in a certain order and is unique and differs greatly among societies around the globe. Likewise, the communities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region being a center of the historical significance of various religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and many more has given rise to numerous rituals which are different and similar in certain ways. Bhutan is a country where rituals are ubiquitous and deeply ingrained in the culture. Rituals and traditions are a fundamental way of life for a family in Bhutanese culture and tradition. Rituals are performed across the whole of Bhutan on an annual basis to deliver offerings to the gods who provide people with temporary refuge. They are also performed as offerings to deities and are carried out in order to bestow blessings on the home, bring about good fortune, and accomplish other goals. Consequently, rituals are an important aspect of farming and Bhutanese people place great emphasis on integrating age-old traditions with modern farming.