Trip to Shimla, a beautiful place in India

Shimla, the place where I always dreamed to visit in my life after watching of Hindi movie “Three Idiot” is finally successful with the support of my friends from YARROWS, in Shimla. The place not only reminds me of our native land, but it gives the essence of natural beauty that we normally found in Bhutan. The beautiful sunrise and sunset with charming rays formulates our mind with peace and full of satisfaction for the day and hopes for next day to come. The variety of ever green trees and different kinds of flowers that dwell in for animals like monkeys, pandas and deer are found very close to human habitants and other species like birds and insects are found very familiar. We enjoyed the fresh air and breathe taking scenic beauties around the hill-side while we walked around the town and YARROWS Campus.

It is interesting to note some memories on our trip to Shimla as it reminds me all the time and it happens to our group most of the time while we travel around whether it is for the good cause or whatever. I would like to begin with our journey from New Delhi, as planned we went to the Inter State Bus Terminal, ISBT, in Delhi to book our ticket but somehow, we were dragged by few people from the gate to book from their counter. At first instance, we didn’t trust those people, and we left the other ways, again some other people took us to the same counter which we drew the conclusion that it must be only counter for the journey to Shimla which was obviously not.

Actually, it was the luxurious bus as we paid handsome amount in trust and faith. We traveled with the hopes and aspirations that they will reach us to our destination with safe and sound but that was only the hope and their promises. The bus was actually going to some other destination, and it was in the middle of the way, the conductor suddenly asked us to de-board from the bus when we reached the place called Ambala. Though we felt ourselves cheated by those people but we kept our hopes high and booked for another bus which was going to Shimla by Chandigarh.

It was long journey and we had a tough time travelling with local people were packed in the bus with hot and humid summer weather. However, we reached in Shimla by 11:30PM, Indian standard time, where our friends took us to their luxurious guest house in the Campus of YARROWS. Though we were tired, we felt homely in the foreign architectural house for the home of Audit Officers being rendered for learning Lawyers like us. The surroundings are filled with diversely growing flowers in the beautiful dimly lights and pin drop silence around the Campus made our mind refreshed and peace. 

Next day, our friends took us for sight scenes around, and first and foremost, they took us to the Monastery of Nyenmapa founded by H.H. Talung Tsetrul Rimpoche where we were coincided with 10^th day of 8^th month in our Bhutanese calendar which we considered to be the auspicious day. We made offerings to each and every Lhakhangs and prayed for every sentient being to be free from all kinds of sufferings in this Samsara and accumulate virtue like those of enlightened beings. 

After that our friends took us through the lift over the rock that connects us to the open space shopping malls where we have to walk all the way around. We had delicious lunch in Chinese restaurant. We snapped photos with background of old British style houses, Church, Monastery and natural beauty for our long remembering purposes.     

Though it was short trip, we had a fun and our mind got fully refreshed because in Delhi, we are tired of all those metropolitan culture with sound pollutions, air pollutions, water pollutions and etc. Our trip was successful because of your full support and warmth hospitality, your kindness and great help will always remain in our heart forever, thanking you so much, our dearest friend, Dorji Wangdi and Kinzang Wangchuk from Royal Audit Authority of Bhutan.  

Memories of Blessed Rainy Day Celebrated in India, 2013

The Thrue-baap (blessed Rainy day) according to Bhutanese culture and tradition, it is a remarkable and very auspicious day to cherish the bygone monsoon and welcome the beautiful autumn season. According to the astrologers, “all water on the earth is believed to turn holy through the blessings from Buddha Namparnangsay and if we take bath on this day, it is believed that our negative karma with mind and body will be cleansed”.

Back in Bhutan, we the Bhutanese people mark this day with many interesting programmes, starting with special Thukpa (porridge) followed by special tea and lunch but some people go for picnic, some go to monastery and most of the middle age men play archery and young ones play khuru and deygor with dances in beautiful attires. It is also our tradition that wives and other relatives come for cheer up the games with packed lunch and drinks. It is interesting to note that towards the evening we hangout for gatherings with our family, relatives and friends for dinners, drinks and dances.

Away from home, this is my first time celebrating Thrue-baap with my friends in India, and I had many interesting memories as well as some unforgettable memories. We all know that India provides many Bhutanese students to study various courses and in Delhi itself there are more than 100 students studying in various colleges. One week before, our friends from Meerut invited us to celebrate the Thrue-baap at their place together. We accepted their invitation and planned accordingly through phone calls, wechat, whatsapp and other communication facilities.

On 20^th September, my friends in Delhi gathered in my place to make preparations and to move from Delhi to Meerut together but in due course of time, we are able to start our journey bit late by 5:30 PM.  Our friends hired two cabs, each carrying 6 passengers, which we believe it is not good number to travel together. Anyhow, we started our journey with full of joy and smiling faces made the journey interesting. We took the way through crowds, crossing numbers of junctions, where full of traffic jams made the journey slow. Moreover, I’m pretty sure that our driver made some blunders as I thought that he took some wrong ways.

Trust me, it is not an exaggeration, we were landed in strange place where I feel both people and the place were totally strange. It was hot, humid, dusty messy and noisy. To me the people I meet was like a Yamraj (the king of death) that we portray during our Tshechu festivals. They were government officials and I knew they were performing their duty but at the same time they were intelligent in robbing through use of wrong powers and wrong interpretations of laws. I felt immensely bitter when my two friends were kept in middle of those cops and torturing with pushing, pulling and harsh words. Our act must be unlawful, and I know the innocent of law has no excuse, but every human being have their fundamental rights. I need not have to mention the due process of law, fair trial and investigations of police because these cops did not intent to be abide by the laws and I can proudly note that they had clear intention to confiscate our drinks for their own consumptions. We had no intention of violating the laws by carrying our drinks from Delhi to Utter Pradesh but it was our personal consumption. At times, I found myself inconsolable with those people and especially with our driver but I still gave a second thought that we are in India. It was unfortunate to mention, may be by 8:30PM, our taxi was suddenly stopped by some polices with their sticks in their hands and took out our drinks that we were carrying for our celebration in Meerut. I was surprised when only two of my friends were interrogated thoroughly and we were not allowed to speak a word. However, after an hour or more of interrogations, my friends were released but our drinks worth of Nu. 8000/- had been confiscated by police.

However, we reached in Meerut by 11:00PM, and our friends were so kind enough that they were passionately waiting for us with sweet words of consoles and tea with biscuits followed by delicious welcome dinner which I felt so warmth from my inner heart for their especial treatment as they took us for walks around the premises for fresh air though my mind was poisoned and polluted by those cops on the way.

It was on 21^st September, he real Thrue-baap begins from 6:00 AM with special Thukpa served at their best in one of our friend’s house where we had an opportunity to meet with many new friends and I recognized most of my friends from Delhi were curious to introduce each other but still we began ourselves interacting among the new friends. We enjoyed playing khuru, though we lost our match. Right after the lunch there was a football tournament, which indeed is my best game made me sick for some times as I was playing football after a yearlong break.

Above all, the most interesting part of the event for me was the interaction session and cultural show performed by beautiful young budding dancers and other singers. The group dances were one of the most interesting part of the event because I felt as if we were in Bhutan celebrating the Thrue-baap with our close relatives. I would like to conclude my short note herewith my heartfelt gratitude and sincere thanks to President, Vice President and all members of Bhutan Students Association in Meerut for organizing such event and wonderful hospitality for my team from Delhi.

Tashi Delek!

Studying Law in Faculty of Law under University of Delhi, India

India, “the Bharat” officially known as Republic of India, is the seventh largest country by area, and second most populous country, and the most populous democratic country in the world. Since, its independence in 1947, India has maintained cordial relations with most of the countries in the world and Bhutan is one of the close tied friendship build prior to their independence among other countries. The capital city Delhi has developed far better compared to my first visit to India in 2007 as the capital city is all connected with metro stations and mode of transportation has became easier. The advance of telecommunications and internet facilities are cheaper but international phone calls are still same as it was used to be in 2007. 

Towards the north of Delhi, is situated a premier university of the country known as the University of Delhi and is known for its high standards in teaching and research and attracts eminent scholars to its faculties. The university was established in 1922 as a unitary, teaching and residential university by an Act of the then Central Legislative Assembly. There are more than 104 colleges in the university campus and Faculty of Law is one of the best law college in the country.

Back in Bhutan, I was working with Office of the Attorney General, Thimphu, as an Assistant Attorney after completion of my PGDNL course from Royal Institute of Management in Simtokha. As, I work in the fields of legal services and prosecution before the courts my profession demands to pursue LL.B which is mandatory as per the service rules and according to Judicial Service Act. Thus, we approached to Royal Civil Service Commission of Bhutan (RCSC) to facilitate us in terms of funding and other necessary actions on this issue.

With support from Royal Government of Bhutan and Government of India, I got an admission in one of the reputed Law College under University of Delhi, the Faculty of Law not only famous for its legal education in India but most of the SAARC countries in south Asia. In Faculty of Law, there are three different colleges; Campus Law Centre, Law centre I and Law Centre II, and each college has more than 10,000 students.
During the admission, we opted to study in Campus Law Centre, as the college is within the north Campus premises which makes easier for us as the classes normally starts from 8:30AM to 2:30 PM. In terms of infrastructure, our college comprised of only three huge buildings which accommodates for all classrooms, law library and auditorium but it has nurtured many eminent lawyers not only in India but for other Asian countries and in Bhutan most of Supreme Court Justice and High Court Justice are the alumni from this Faculty.

Every semester we have to study five subjects which in total 30 subjects, while completing three years course. Besides our syllabus, we need to participate in legal research, moot courts, legal ads, discussion forums, internships, attachments and eminent person’s lectures being held every Wednesday. Although, we don’t have to write assignments for each subjects but our examinations being centralized by University Examination Board which makes us very tough to score good marks in each subjects. The highest scoring record so far I heard was 65% marks, thus the university maintains its standards.