Time and Duration

Time is measured in many different units in traditional Bhutan. The Buddhist scholars and astrologers used the system derived from Indian and Chinese traditions. To them, time is divided into kalpa aeons, lifetimes, generations, years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, moments, etc. Although there were no clocks or watches, Bhutanese monastics told time through the length of the shadow and farmers read time with the help of songs of birds and the position of the sun, moon and stars. Bhutanese roughly measure duration through activities such as eating, having a nap, drinking tea, etc.