The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Panbang Dungkhag, Zhemgang is gearing up to host the second Manas Winter Festival on 23rd and 24th February. It is an event designed to promote and bridge age-old Khengpa heritage with Bhutan’s growing eco-tourism sector.
Panbang Drungpa, Sherab Zangpo, said that the event was organized in line with the Royal Government’s efforts to promote economic transformation and tourism activities in the region in the post-pandemic period, with the aim of reviving the local economy.
Although similar programs were held in Panbang in the past, the Manas Winter Festival, launched last year, is the first of its kind with clear objectives to revive and promote the cultural heritage of the Lower Kheng region, comprising four gewogs.
The festival provides a platform for local communities to showcase and sell farm produce, livestock products, and forest-based products. It also features exhibitions of traditional agricultural tools and household items indigenous to Lower Kheng, displayed in stalls constructed using locally available materials and traditional designs.
Food courts offer exclusively local produce and items, including plates, mugs, and spoons made from local materials, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to sustainability.
Strategically held in Panbang, the festival aims to promote tourism and boost the local economy by highlighting the area’s environmental and cultural strengths.
“Panbang is touted for having immense potential to become a premier tourist destination due to its strong Unique Selling Points such as its natural endowments, unique cultural heritage and favorable climatic conditions, especially between October and March,” said Drungpa Sherab Zangpo.
“The tourism industry has a multiplier effect in terms of business opportunities and job creation. Thus, non-religious festivals like this are expected to stimulate local economy and promote tourism in the region and help attract domestic, regional and international visitors,” he added.
Visitors can look forward to food stalls offering local cuisine and delicacies, tsarzo (bamboo and cane) and wood crafts, local ara and tongba, as well as traditional and indigenous activities such as tug-of-war, bullfighting, keshey (wrestling), strongman competitions, shot put, degor, and more.
Simultaneously, the visitors attending the festival can participate in side programs and activities such as river rafting, fly fishing, bird watching and Pan (traditional bamboo and cane raft) adventure ride experience.
Besides food stalls and exhibitions, there will be performances of traditional and indigenous folk songs.
The festival provides an opportunity for the local people to sell their produce and earn cash income in lieu of people buying imported materials during mass gathering of people.
The Drungpa said, “The main short and long-term goals of the festival is to attract local people, tourists and regional visitors from across the border in India to boost the overall economy of Lower Kheng region.”
“Another goal is to instill conservation ethos and leverage people living within the Royal Manas National Park,” he added.
