Mesmerizing and magnificent, Bhutan Echoes, a photographic exhibition by Tasveer, offers a rare and unique glimpse into the landlocked Himalayan country that takes pride in measuring the country’s success through a ‘Gross National Happiness’ index.
(Gachi, a yak herder in Haa Valley, 2004)
(A farewell dance in Sakteng village, 2004)
The exhibition, consisting of a collection of evocative black and white photographs taken by the renowned Delhi-based photographer Serena Chopra, showcases and celebrates the landscape, culture, religion and people of Bhutan. A personal photographic study, Chopra’s photographs span everyday life in Bhutan from the bustling, modern capital of Thimpu, to remote villages frozen in time.
(Shop assistant Buddhiman Singer at Yeshey Meat Shop in Thimpu, 2005)
(The Garuda in the Yak Cham performance in Merak village, 2004)
(Ome, a yak herder, near the Laya army camp, 2005)
Serena Chopra first visited Bhutan in 2002, and in repeated trips over the years, she not only travelled far and wide into hidden valleys and the interiors of the country, but also lived as a guest in many Bhutanese homes. This provided her with an intimate experience, and she began to photograph the Bhutanese “with a vision that came from a more subtle understanding of their truth”.
(Dorji and her son by their kitchen hearth in Rukha village, 2004)
(Naktrila of Ugyen Chholing village, Bumthang, 2004)
Bhutan Echoes showcases the enigmatic country beautifully, with its surprising blend of the secular and the religious, myth and reality, the traditional with the modern, and the immense contrast between its smaller townships and faraway ancient villages.
(Lexang Pem Dechen and Kesang Wangchuk in traditional wedding attire in Babesa, 2004)
(Saturday night at a discotheque in Thimpu, 2004)
(Monks at the Shechen Ogyen Chodzong Nyingmapa Buddhist Nunnery, Sisina, 2004)
(Wangdi in Merak village, 2004)
