All around Bhutan, you can easily find the best gifts for your home. Craft bazaars and handicraft stores are easily available around every corner. The most famous Bhutanese items are textiles and jewelry. Unsurprisingly, jewelry is made of silver or gold, intricately set with precious stones and traditional designs such as eternal knots. Thimphu city has mostly high-end jewelry.
Bhutan’s textiles are hand-woven, patterned, and striking. To buy bags, ties, cushion covers, or purses, you must visit the nearby handicraft bazaar. The most amazing Bhutanese handicraft item is carved masks used during the festivals. Some other famous items include bamboo products, woven garments, carved wooden items, and Yatha handbags. There are wooden utensils known as Dapa, which are painted.
One of the most unique gifts from Bhutan for your loved ones is stamps. These are traditional in look, depicting flora and fauna along with the cultural heritage. Now, Bhutanese have new stamps as well. It comes in 3-dimensional stamps, including thangka (silk stamp), a grooved stamp in circle shape playing the national anthem of Bhutan.
Visiting Bhutan’s market, you will get spoiled for choice. You will get to shop for handmade Desho paper, carved masks, Thangka paintings, Dzi heads, and bath products made of tea.
Suggested Bhutan Tour - 6 nights and 7 days to Explore Bhutan
Top 10 Souvenir Gifts for Loved Ones from Bhutan:
Discover the special side of Bhutan reflecting artistic spirit and rich heritage. Below are the top 10 souvenir gifts to be bought for your loved ones when returning back to your country.
Lemongrass Spray
It is grown in the wild settings in the Trashigang and Mongar districts of Eastern Bhutan. Bhutan’s special lemongrass oil has a very different sweet scent that boosts a feeling of relaxation. The lemongrass oil even has the chemical constituents of citronellol and geraniol that help in repelling insects, including houseflies and mosquitoes. The lemongrass oil is also used as a balm or an antiseptic. As per Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed this oil is great for getting relief from headaches, colds, and stomach pain.
Bhutan Honey
Bhutanese believe in using natural things. They don’t use any sort of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. They heavily depend on bees with no stings for pollination of crops. Nature, with time, leads to yields. It clearly shows an amicable relationship associated with nature, leading to making the ecosystem sustainable. All around the world, Bhutan honey is believed to be natural and productive for treating cough. Intake of Bhutan honey also helps in treating liver problems, bad cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
Traditional Garments & Handwoven Textiles
Bhutanese textiles are prized at a higher rate due to their craftsmanship. The majority of the textiles are handwoven by the use of wool, silk, or cotton with natural colours. You will get to shop for the most beautiful pieces such as kira (a unique and traditional full-length maxi dress for women). There is a gho (a type of robe worn by men). There are scarves, throws, and shawls. There are woollen products as well, made from the yatra or yak wool.
Home Decor & Handicrafts
Bhutanese artisans produce a variety of crafts made using bamboo, wood, and clay. You can also look for wooden-style bowls (dapa), cane, bamboo baskets, and wooden masks. You can also buy handmade paper (Desho), which is made from the daphne plant’s bark.
Prayer Flags
You can buy prayer flags that are hung on mountain passes, stupas, temples or bridges. You can find prayer flags in 5 different colours - green, blue, red, yellow and white. It is believed to have good harmony for the mind and body. Putting up a prayer flag leads to accumulating merit while spreading blessings of happiness, good luck, and blessings.
Wooden Products
Tourists can also buy dapa (wooden products). The Dapa is a wooden bowl made of wood. The remarkable dapas can be found in eastern Bhutan. Some other wooden products are jewellery boxes, sculptures, wooden masks, and tablewares. The intricate carvings can be found in different sizes and shapes.
Wooden Masks Colourfully Carved
Bhutanese festivals are amongst the top events in Bhutan, promoting spirituality and peace. The most unique feature of the celebration includes wooden masks showcasing local characters from the myths and legends. The majority of tourists visit Bhutan around the Tsechu festival. Throughout the festival, monks roam around wearing those masks.
Bhutan Red Rice
Bhutanese red rice is rich in fibre. For proper digestion, fibre is necessary. The red rice is believed to reduce the risk associated with heart disease as it further decreases blood cholesterol levels. Moreover, red rice is rich in fibre, leading to decreasing the obesity related risks. Antioxidant properties lead to reduced chances of cancer cells. One also gets protection against skin diseases and skin cancer.
Buddhist Art and Paintings
Thangkas (Buddhist Art & Paintings) are traditional style artworks. These are sacred in quantities amongst the Bhutanese. You can find many of the scroll paintings telling a lot about the Buddhist deities. Buddhist doctrines and saints. One can find different colourful backgrounds. These paintings are drawn well on silk appliqué or cloth. To create these paintings, natural colours are used, leading to appreciated fine art.
Singing Bowls
Singing bowls are a mix of spirituality, tradition, and sound. The singing bowls are mainly crafted using a mix of metals such as bronze, tin, and copper. One can use these bowls for meditation practices for mindfulness and calmness. If you circle or gently strike the singing bowl with a wooden mallet, a humming sound is created, describing the “voice of harmony”. There are singing bowls with mantras engraved, such as Om Mani Padme Hum. There is a belief associated with a balance of energy, relaxation, and great focus in meditation.
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The Last Words!
Over time, there has hopped on to the emergence of local products made with raw materials. Many Bhutani business men are starting their innovative journeys of producing food products, stationery, and herbal medicine. The Made in Bhutan products are believed to be great gifts. The widely gifted products include honey, tea, candy, rice, and many other products. You can find these products in the specialized markets of Bhutan. Overall, you will get a very different experience that’s rare to find in global retail chains or mega malls. It’s a real charm to explore Bhutan’s craft boutiques and local markets.
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