Saturday 8 November 2008

One post is not enough!



The Boston Globe's Big Picture also features photos from the coronation of the Oxford-educated bachelor His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 28 years old ...


Dancers line up for the crowning ceremony.
Both photos by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images. See more at the Boston Globe!


bhutan-20
Originally uploaded by frans.vanderlee
"
Ratu our local guide and Bart
our trip leader pay homage. "

And since we're talking about Bhutan ... In Bhutan, kissing in public is taboo, but on the other hand, it is very common to paint giant phalluses on your house to ward off evil spirits. Phalluses in many other shapes are also used to ward off evil spirits.
The photo on the right is by Frans van der Lee, who has a lovely set of photos from Bhutan at Flickr.

The BBC's Geeta Pandey writes about the origins of Bhutan's phalluses. They can be traced back to the "Divine Madman" Lama Drupka Kinley, who supposedly would hit errant demons over the head with his penis to subdue them and turn them into protective deities.
"But contrary to the popular perception, the phallus has a world of meaning beyond its obvious symbolism to ward off evil influences", says this article from Kuensel, Bhutan's national newspaper, which takes a closer look at the phallic traditions of Bhutan, and their future in the modern society.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ihmeellinen pikku maa..., telkkarikin tuli sinne vasta 1999 ja kännykkä hyväksyttiin 2004.

Saa nähä, mitä tän nuoren kuninkaan mielessä liikkuu.

Noemi said...

He is sooo hot!