Shopping in Bhutan
Shopping in Bhutan is very region centric as not every kind of item is found in equal abundance or ease everywhere. Bhutan is not a cheap shopper’s paradise, so do not expect to find throw-away deals here… you can however find some reasonably priced souvenirs.
If you are interested in high quality handlooms and handicrafts, then you will love shopping in Bhutan. Scroll down to see the various categories of items and their areas of availability in Bhutan.
Shopping categories in Bhutan are listed below per their order of importance in the country:
Bhutanese Textiles
Textiles of Bhutan are amazing and they have a spiritual story behind them which makes their study a fascinating process. The weaves of Bhutan are closely linked with their cultural identity and in the suburban and village areas, every home has a loom.
You can try to buy a Gho and Kira (traditional men’s and women’s Bhutanese robes). A high quality Kira made by a weaver takes 2 to 3 months and 8 hours of labor per day.
Shawls are made of Yak wool, pashmina and sheep wool are also a good buy in Bhutan and Paro would be a better option for than Thimphu. You must be a little persistent with your bargaining skills.
Masks, Crafts and Decorative Items
Shopping for crafts and decorative items in Bhutan is a little tricky. You need to be a real art connoisseur to detect which are genuine Bhutan made items and otherwise you need to rely on Government Emporiums and popular Craft centers.
Thangkas & local paintings
If you are an art lover then you would probably choose Thangkas. The word Thangka actually means “rolled up”. They are scroll paintings, earlier Thangkas were only brought out on special occasions and were kept rolled up for the rest of the time.
Bhutan has a vast collection of priceless and spiritually valuable Thangkas which are present in its Monasteries and Dzongs. Thangkas in Bhutan almost always have strong religious elements and are good objects of meditation.