Pema's Journey

  The Sacred Naked Dance of Bumthang, Bhutan Among the many unique cultural traditions of Bhutan, one of the most fascinating and rare is the sacred naked dance performed during the annual festival of Jambay Lhakhang in the beautiful valley of Bumthang Valley . Known locally as Tercham (The Naked Dance) , this extraordinary ritual takes place during the famous Jambay Lhakhang Drup , one of Bhutan's oldest and most revered religious festivals. The festival is held at Jambay Lhakhang , a temple believed to have been built in the 7th century by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo . The temple is considered one of the 108 temples constructed to subdue a giant demoness believed to be obstructing the spread of Buddhism across the Himalayas. The naked dance is usually performed late at night, often after midnight, creating an atmosphere of mystery and spiritual excitement. During the ritual, selected male dancers appear without clothing except for ceremonial masks and ornaments. To outsiders...

Ngultrum 1850 I dug deep into my pockets again and again, checking every possible hiding place in my wallet. I counted and recounted the cash in my hands. Nu. 1850 was all I had left—the remaining balance from my very first salary at my new job. Just a month earlier, I had been thrilled to finally secure employment. Now, barely weeks later, I was worrying about what I would tell my parents. The moment an American tourist tested positive for COVID-19, the government announced the immediate closure of Bhutan’s borders. Panic buying erupted across the country. Shelves were being emptied, and people rushed to stock up on essentials. My parents had reminded me several times to buy enough food and supplies to last for months. But how could I tell them that I had only Nu. 1850? More than half of my salary had already gone toward rent and utility bills. With most of what remained, I bought utensils, a mattress, and a warm quilt for my parents because I had brought them to live with me in Thimp...