Driglam namzha

The Driglam Namzha traces its roots directly back to the 17th-century pronouncements of Ngawang Namgyal, the first Zhabdrung Rinpoche, a Tibetan lama and military leader who sought to unify Bhutan not only politically but also culturally. He established guidelines for dzong architecture, the characteristic monastery-fortresses of Bhutan. He also established many of the traditions of the tshechu "district festival" such as the Cham dance. The guidelines were intentionally codified to encourage the emergence of a distinctively-Bhutanese identity. In 1989, the government elevated the status of the dress code from recommended to mandatory. All citizens were then required to observe the dress code in public during business hours. The decree was resented by some Lhotshampas in the southern lowlands, who complained about being forced to wear the clothing of the Ngalop people. == Clothing ==

Under the Driglam Namzha, men wear a heavy knee-length robe tied with a belt, called a gho, which is folded in such a way to form a pocket in front of the stomach. A white, raw silk sash with fringes called a kabney is worn by commoner men from the left shoulder to opposite hip, as other colors are reserved for officials and monks. Women wear a rachu, a narrow embroidered cloth draped over the left shoulder. ==Architecture==

with varicolored wood frontages, small arched windows, and a sloping roof. The Driglam Namzha codifies the traditional rules for the construction of the religious, military, administrative, and social centers of Bhutan, which are amalgamated into fortresses known as dzongs. No plans are drawn up nor are nails allowed in their construction. Under the direction of an inspired lama, citizens build dzongs as part of their tax obligation to the state. As recently as 1998, by decree, all buildings must be constructed with varicolored wood frontages, small arched windows, and sloping roofs. ==See also==