Archery, the national game
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Archery is the national sport of Bhutan. This traditional sport has been with us since time
immemorial. Archery over the
years has become a very popular sport among the urban
dwellers. Even today archery is widely played through out
the country during festive occasions. In the rural areas archery is a major
event played during festivals.
In Bhutan a game of archery has always been a serious
business. Tradition has it that if two villages or districts
were to compete in a game of archery, elaborate preparations preceded
the actual duel. Astrologers consulted the stars and their books of wisdom to divine
the most auspicious day to play the game, including even the most favourable
sequence to shooting for their players. The most auspicious time for entering the
archery range and the direction in which to enter would be meticulously worked out by
their astrologers. Now abandoned, but the practise used to be that all players had to
sleep the night before the game in a place unknown to anyone. This was to ensure
that their opponents could not direct any evil
forces against the team. In addition, the players were kept
away from the amorous atmosphere of their family life so that they remained pure and
fresh for the coming test.
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A target with several arrows
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The religious minded would meditate, pray and perform religious ceremonies to invoke the support of their protective deities a nd
call upon their spirits to their ancestors to guide them to victory. Even the no-so religious ones, in time like these, often would be
suddenly bitten by the bug of superstition, and to shield themselves against such negative forces, they would pray with profound
sincerity to their guardian spirits to seek for strength to vanquish their foes. Long gone are the days when the Bhutanese were into battle
in full gear, but the fighting spirit still lurks somewhere deep in the depths of their souls, and nothing stimulates that fighting spirit
more than a game of archery.
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The archery range is of almost 160 meters long and the targets are place 145 meters apart. An average target is two and half feet tall.
Traditionally, the bows were bamboo; the arrows made of reeds adorned with beautiful wild pheasant feather. Now it is U. S made
compound bows with carbon limbs and fancy cams. With these levels of precision of shots has enhances considerably. But the spirit
and the thrill of playing a highly uncertain game still remains the same. A usual game is of twenty five points. Any team that wins two
games is the winner, but that can take sometimes two of more days. A direct hit on the target is a "kari" and a hit near the target is a
"dhaya": a kari carries two points and a dhaya, only one. If you hit a kari and your opponent also hits a kari, the karis are cancelled.
When a kari is cancelled, irrespective of how many dhayas there may be, they all stand annulled.
In accordance with the horoscope of the archers, the astrologers would have defined the sequence of the play; normally the tiger leads.
However, it is the captain that must keep a sharp eye and match his archers according to the skill and the psychological advantage over
their apponents.
When an arrow finds its mark, the archers, in a circle at the shooters end and in a straight line facing the target at the other end, dance to
praise their shooter's skill.
Archery is not just a sport in Bhutan but its a tradition which has lived with us for ages. Archery is a balanced coordination between the
limbs, eyes, breath and mind. All in all archery is a Bhutanese soul played in competitive spirit and loved by all.
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