Vignettes of Serenity

‘This morning, just four days after arriving in Bhutan, I came to the conclusion that I am not here just by chance, but that I have a journey to make in this country that will prove to have a greater meaning in my life.’ So the journey begins, with the standard clichés—but the classic beauty of Bhutan often has that effect on people. With an opening from Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck as benediction, this expensively produced volume is a detailed record of the luxury traveller’s favourite of destinations. From Tsangkha and Bumthang in Central Bhutan to Paro and Punakha, here is a pilgrimage of sorts which spans 12 years. The author encounters monks, royals, yaks and young people rubbing up against change, though here is a country where time often lags behind.

Serena Chopra, a journalist and photographer, is the author of Along the Ganga, part of a series of picture notebooks, and has shown work—documenting subjects ranging from the Tibetan refugee colony of Majnu Ka Tila in Delhi to Naga sadhus at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar— in New York, Bhutan and New Delhi. Her black-and-white images focus on both the landscape and people—not least its dzongs (Buddhist monasteries which are also fortresses)— and are the main attraction of this coffee table Eat Pray Love, which covers valuable ground if you are inclined to travel to Bhutan or want a lasting memento of your visit.

Bhutan DiariesbooksliteratureSerena ChopraThe Ancients