| Ethnic
dress in Bhutan
 Nowhere
is Bhutan's democratic spirit more readily apparent to the visitor
than in the national dress. Men wear a kho, known in the south
as Boku, a long robe tied around the waist by a slim belt, or
Kera. The folds in the front form a pouch which is used as a
pocket, and a cotton or silk vest with broad white cuffs is
worn underneath. At the waist is a small sword for chopping
betel nuts, meat or wood. All men, from the King to the most
humble of his subjects, wear this same costume.
The women's ankle-length robe is called a
kira. Made from beautifully coloured, finely woven fabrics -
each valley has its own traditional pattern - the kira is fastened
at the waist with a wide kera and at the shoulders with silver
brooches. Necklaces are fashioned from corals, pearls, turquoises
and  precious
agate eyestones which the Bhutanese call 'tears of the gods'.
These traditional robes are almost always
worn, but today it is only at festivals that one sees the handsome
knee-length boots of embroidered cloth with soft leather soles.
They have largely been replaced by Western-style shoes. |
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