EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The University of Texas at El Paso kicked off “Bhutan Days” Monday to celebrate the school’s relationship with the Himalayan kingdom. Events will last through Friday, UTEP said.<\/p>\n
Monday’s events were highlighted by tours of the Lhakang, guided by Bhutanese International Students which feature walls of murals showing the Journey of Gurus Rinpoche and Zhabdrung in bringing Buddhism to Bhutan amid clashes with demons. <\/p>\n
Additionally, the other side of the Lhakang featured murals showing the life of Buddha from being birthed through his mothers armpit, through his journey of enlightenment and eventually his death. <\/p>\n
There are also hand-painted details all over the Lhakang, even displaying traditional costumes worn during the Shazam Cham (Deer Dance) and Raksha Cham (Demon deity) as well as the costume worn during the Durdag Cham or Dance of the Dead.<\/p>\n
The unique relationship started in 1917 when UTEP (then called the State School of Mines and Metallurgy) relocated its Main Building to the foothills of the Franklin Mountains, according to the school. Former Dean Steve Worrell’s wife convinced him to include Bhutanese architecture. <\/p>\n
According to Vice President of Student Affairs Catie McCory-Andalis, that was based on a 1914 copy of National Geographic Magazine which included the first photos of Bhutan ever published which influenced how the 107 buildings that make up UTEP’s modern day campus were built.<\/p>\n
McCory-Andalis also said copies of that issue are still on display on UTEP’s campus, adding that the university even wrote a letter to the then Queen of Bhutan in the late 1960’s to explain it’s new Bhutanese incorporated look.<\/p>\n
MCCory – Andalis explained what specific features draw from the South Asian country.<\/p>\n
“A number of things, sloping walls, ornate feature, mandalas on our buildings that signify different aspects of this culture,” McCory-Andalis said. “Inset windows that have a bit more depth to them than on a typical building. But also the design features that we often have on our windows and doors.”<\/p>\n
Since then, UTEP said ties to the South Asian country evolved to include research and study abroad opportunities. In 2005, the campus held the first Bhutan Days celebration for the community to learn more about Bhutan.<\/p>\n
Three years later, in 2008, the government of Bhutan donated one on its buildings that would become the Lhakang with the only condition being it go to UTEP’s campus. <\/p>\n
McCory-Andalis said this is because that year the Smithsonian Folklife Festival chose Bhutan, Texas, and NASA as that year’s country, state, and industry to recognize and UTEP’s ties to all three were cause for an invitation to see the first temple ever constructed outside of Bhutan.<\/p>\n
“When the festival ended it was gifted to us, we put it in trucks and brought it to campus knowing we wanted it to be the centerpiece of Centennial Plaza,” McCory-Andalis said. “We debuted it as part of our Centennial in 2014.”<\/p>\n