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Ha Valley
Ha valley
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Bhutan is an indipendent state in between Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh in Himalayas.'Ha' is a district in the noth western regionof Bhutan. Ha town is just twenty kilometres
away from Chinese boarder.
Don't think that Ha in 1980 was abig town as in other parts of the world. There were about twenty small shopes, one post office, district office, food corporation outlet, school,a military training centre, police station and a Military Hospital to constitute Ha town. Electicity hadn't reached Ha!
Ha-Chu (Ha river) flows elegantly through the valley. Its water is from melting snow of the higher altitudes. Water is six or seven degree Celsius hot. Powerful mountain wind flows always there.If we stand in this wind we will feel the pain as some cold needles dig into our flesh.
Summer is not more than fifteen or sixteen degree Celsius. In winter it may fall up to minus thirty degree Celsius. Life there is, as if in a natural fridge.
People change their life styles to adapt with adverse climatic conditions. They wear two or more layers of thick woollen clothes, wear monkey cap, wear gloves and socks, shoes on the feet. Most of the time the body is covered by a long jacket. People look swollen with many layers of clothes.
The staple food of Bhutanese is rice and meat. Thir curries are rich with chillies ,cheese and butter. Bhutanese tea called 'Suja' is prepared by adding salt and butter to tea water. They drink 'Chang' a
local beer prepared at home by fermenting cooked and smashed grains. They use home made arrak too. Alcohol is a food and offering to God.
If a person has to go out during cold, his body needs heat. It is obtained by assimilating fatty food, alcohol and chewing arecanut. Aracolinic acid in arecanut can heat up the body.
Villagers in Ha used to take bath once or twice in a year. As there is no sweting, the skin won't feel any irritation. Moreover it is dangerous to pour very cold water on the body.
The main fifficulty in niniteen eighties was the lack of communication facilities. A letter posted there would take two weeks to reach Kerala. Again it would take another two weeks to get the reply. The truck service from Ha to go out was only twice in a week. That too a single trip. It would take a whole day to reach the neighbouring town.
I took charge sa a teacher in Ha school, in this circumstances. Mr. S T Rana of Nepali origin was my first headmaster.
He extended a warm welcome to me. One quaarters was allotted to me in the school compound. School leader and growup children were around me to give any help.
They cleaned the rooms and arranged furniture.They brought bed and blanket from the hostellers . They brought a share of the dinner from the hostel kitchen.
As l was after a long journey, I thouht of taking bath. There was no facility to heat water. I took a mug of water and poured on my body. I began to shiver. Still I completed the bath. After eating a little of the food they brought, I took shelter inside the blanket. One senior boy stayed with me to give necessary help.
© Rajendran Thriveni
---------
Bhutan is an indipendent state in between Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh in Himalayas.'Ha' is a district in the noth western regionof Bhutan. Ha town is just twenty kilometres
away from Chinese boarder.
Don't think that Ha in 1980 was abig town as in other parts of the world. There were about twenty small shopes, one post office, district office, food corporation outlet, school,a military training centre, police station and a Military Hospital to constitute Ha town. Electicity hadn't reached Ha!
Ha-Chu (Ha river) flows elegantly through the valley. Its water is from melting snow of the higher altitudes. Water is six or seven degree Celsius hot. Powerful mountain wind flows always there.If we stand in this wind we will feel the pain as some cold needles dig into our flesh.
Summer is not more than fifteen or sixteen degree Celsius. In winter it may fall up to minus thirty degree Celsius. Life there is, as if in a natural fridge.
People change their life styles to adapt with adverse climatic conditions. They wear two or more layers of thick woollen clothes, wear monkey cap, wear gloves and socks, shoes on the feet. Most of the time the body is covered by a long jacket. People look swollen with many layers of clothes.
The staple food of Bhutanese is rice and meat. Thir curries are rich with chillies ,cheese and butter. Bhutanese tea called 'Suja' is prepared by adding salt and butter to tea water. They drink 'Chang' a
local beer prepared at home by fermenting cooked and smashed grains. They use home made arrak too. Alcohol is a food and offering to God.
If a person has to go out during cold, his body needs heat. It is obtained by assimilating fatty food, alcohol and chewing arecanut. Aracolinic acid in arecanut can heat up the body.
Villagers in Ha used to take bath once or twice in a year. As there is no sweting, the skin won't feel any irritation. Moreover it is dangerous to pour very cold water on the body.
The main fifficulty in niniteen eighties was the lack of communication facilities. A letter posted there would take two weeks to reach Kerala. Again it would take another two weeks to get the reply. The truck service from Ha to go out was only twice in a week. That too a single trip. It would take a whole day to reach the neighbouring town.
I took charge sa a teacher in Ha school, in this circumstances. Mr. S T Rana of Nepali origin was my first headmaster.
He extended a warm welcome to me. One quaarters was allotted to me in the school compound. School leader and growup children were around me to give any help.
They cleaned the rooms and arranged furniture.They brought bed and blanket from the hostellers . They brought a share of the dinner from the hostel kitchen.
As l was after a long journey, I thouht of taking bath. There was no facility to heat water. I took a mug of water and poured on my body. I began to shiver. Still I completed the bath. After eating a little of the food they brought, I took shelter inside the blanket. One senior boy stayed with me to give necessary help.
© Rajendran Thriveni
