Driglam namzha
Encyclopedia
The Driglam Namzha is the official behaviour and dress code of the Kingdom of Bhutan. It governs how citizens should dress in public and how they should behave in formal settings. It also regulates a number of cultural assets such as art and architecture. In English, driglam means "order, discipline, custom, rules, regimen" and namzha means "system," though the term may be styled "The Rules for Disciplined Behaviour."
Ngawang Namgyel, the Tibetan
lama
and military leader who unified Bhutan as a nation state. Charismatic and forward thinking, the Shabdrung sought to unify the country not only politically but culturally as well. He established guidelines for building the characteristic fortresses of Bhutan, known as dzongs. He also established many of the traditions of the tsechu
or district festival, such as specific sacred dances known as cham
. These guidelines were intentionally codified to encourage the emergence of a distinctive Bhutanese identity.
In 1989 the government elevated the status of the dress code from recommended to mandatory. Afterward, all citizens were required to observe the dress code in public during business hours. This decree was resented by the Hindu
Lhotshampa
s in the southern lowlands who voiced complaints about being forced to wear the clothing of the Ngalop
. Soon thereafter approximately 80,000 Nepalese left the country who did not want to follow the process of Driglma Namzha as undocumented aliens and now reside in refugee camp
s in Nepal
.
, folded in such a way to form a pocket in front of the stomach. Women wear colorful blouses called wonju
over which they fold and clasp a large rectangular cloth called a kira
, thereby creating an ankle-length dress. A short silk jacket, or toego
may be worn over the kira. Everyday gho and kira are cotton or wool, according to the season, patterned in simple checks and stripes in earth tones. For special occasions and festivals, colourfully patterned silk kira and, more rarely, gho may be worn.
Additional rules apply when visiting a dzong or a temple, and when appearing before a high level official. A white sash called a kabney
is worn by male commoners from left shoulder to opposite hip, with other colors reserved for officials and monks. Women wear a rachu, a narrow embroidered cloth draped over the left shoulder.
The Driglam Namzha codifies the traditional rules for the construction of the sacred
fortresses or dzongs. No plans are drawn up, nor are nails allowed in the construction. Under the direction of an inspired lama
the fortress is constructed by the citizens who participate as part of their tax obligation to the state
. As recently as 1998, by royal decree, all buildings must be constructed with multi-coloured wood frontages, small arched windows, and sloping roofs.
History of the Driglam Namzha
The Driglam Namzha traces its roots directly back to the 17th century pronouncements of ShabdrungShabdrung
Shabdrung , was a title used when referring to or addressing great lamas in Tibet, particularly those who held a hereditary lineage...
Ngawang Namgyel, the Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
and military leader who unified Bhutan as a nation state. Charismatic and forward thinking, the Shabdrung sought to unify the country not only politically but culturally as well. He established guidelines for building the characteristic fortresses of Bhutan, known as dzongs. He also established many of the traditions of the tsechu
Tsechu
Tsechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place, but usually is around the time of October. Tsechus are religious festivals of Drukpa Buddhism...
or district festival, such as specific sacred dances known as cham
Cham Dance
The cham dance , also spelled tscham or chaam, is a lively masked and costumed dance associated with some sects of Buddhism, and is part of Buddhist festivals. The dance is accompanied by music played by monks using traditional Tibetan instruments...
. These guidelines were intentionally codified to encourage the emergence of a distinctive Bhutanese identity.
In 1989 the government elevated the status of the dress code from recommended to mandatory. Afterward, all citizens were required to observe the dress code in public during business hours. This decree was resented by the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Lhotshampa
Lhotshampa
Lhotshampa, or Lhotsampa, means "southerners" in Dzongkha, the national language of Bhutan. The term refers to the heterogeneous ethnic Nepalese population of Bhutan.-History:...
s in the southern lowlands who voiced complaints about being forced to wear the clothing of the Ngalop
Ngalop
The Ngalop are people of Tibetan origin who migrated to Bhutan as early as the ninth century. For this reason, they are often referred to in literature as "Bhote"...
. Soon thereafter approximately 80,000 Nepalese left the country who did not want to follow the process of Driglma Namzha as undocumented aliens and now reside in refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
.
Clothing
Under the Driglam Namzha, men wear a heavy knee-length robe tied with a belt, called a ghoGho
The gho is the traditional and national dress for men in Bhutan. Introduced in the 17th century by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel to give the Bhutanese a more distinctive identity, it is a knee-length robe tied at the waist by a cloth belt known as the kera...
, folded in such a way to form a pocket in front of the stomach. Women wear colorful blouses called wonju
Wonju (Bhutan)
A wonju is a long-sleeved blouse worn by women in Bhutan. Made of silk, polyester, or lightweight cotton, it is worn underneath the kira, part of the national costume under the driglam namzha.-References:...
over which they fold and clasp a large rectangular cloth called a kira
Kira (dress)
The kira is the national dress for women in Bhutan. It is an ankle-length dress consisting of a rectangular piece of woven fabric, wrapped and folded around the body which is pinned at both shoulders, usually with silver brooches, and bound at the waist with a long belt...
, thereby creating an ankle-length dress. A short silk jacket, or toego
Toego
A toego is a long sleeved, short jacket-like garment worn over a kira by women in Bhutan. The toego is thus part of the national dress of Bhutan, along with the kira dress and wonju undershirt....
may be worn over the kira. Everyday gho and kira are cotton or wool, according to the season, patterned in simple checks and stripes in earth tones. For special occasions and festivals, colourfully patterned silk kira and, more rarely, gho may be worn.
Additional rules apply when visiting a dzong or a temple, and when appearing before a high level official. A white sash called a kabney
Kabney
A kabney is a silk scarf worn as a part of the gho, the traditional male costume in Bhutan. It is raw silk, normally 90 x 300 cm with fringes...
is worn by male commoners from left shoulder to opposite hip, with other colors reserved for officials and monks. Women wear a rachu, a narrow embroidered cloth draped over the left shoulder.
Architecture
Sacred
Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy or sacred...
fortresses or dzongs. No plans are drawn up, nor are nails allowed in the construction. Under the direction of an inspired lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
the fortress is constructed by the citizens who participate as part of their tax obligation to the state
Corvée
Corvée is unfree labour, often unpaid, that is required of people of lower social standing and imposed on them by the state or a superior . The corvée was the earliest and most widespread form of taxation, which can be traced back to the beginning of civilization...
. As recently as 1998, by royal decree, all buildings must be constructed with multi-coloured wood frontages, small arched windows, and sloping roofs.
See also
- Culture of BhutanCulture of BhutanCradled in the folds of the Himalayas, Bhutan has relied on its geographic isolation to protect itself from outside cultural influences. A sparsely populated country bordered by India to the south and China to the north, Bhutan has long maintained a policy of strict isolationism, both culturally...
- History of BhutanHistory of BhutanBhutan's early history is steeped in mythology and remains obscure. It may have been inhabited as early as 2000 BC, but not much was known until the introduction of Tibetan Buddhism in the 9th century, when turmoil in Tibet forced many monks to flee to Bhutan. In the 12th century, the Drukpa...
- Dzong architectureDzong architectureDzong architecture is a distinctive type of fortress architecture found in the present and former Buddhist kingdoms of the Himalayas: Bhutan and Tibet...
- LhotshampaLhotshampaLhotshampa, or Lhotsampa, means "southerners" in Dzongkha, the national language of Bhutan. The term refers to the heterogeneous ethnic Nepalese population of Bhutan.-History:...
- Bhutanese refugees