Thimphu, 17 December 2021 (TDI): Bhutan is celebrating its National Day, today with zeal and fervor all across the country. The day is a public holiday in the Kingdom of Bhutan. It commemorates the coronation of the first King of Bhutan on this day, in 1907.
Celebrations are held at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu. The celebrations include a public address by the ruling monarch of the country. A procession including a statue of the first king of Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck also pays tribute to the first king.
The day is the most significant national holiday of Bhutan and is widely celebrated throughout the country. All agencies and government offices are closed on the occasion.
Kingdom of Bhutan
The official name of Bhutan is the Kingdom of Bhutan. However, it is also known as “The Land of the Thunder Dragon.” This title is a reference to the mythical dragon Druk which is also the national symbol of the country.
Bhutan is located in South-Central Asia on the eastern ridges of the Himalayas ranges. Bhutan borders China on the north and follows the top of the Great Himalayas.
It borders the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam in the Duar Plain to the south of the Himalayan range. Furthermore, it is contiguous with the Indian states of Sikkim to the southwest and Arunachal Pradesh to the east.
History of the National Day of Bhutan
In the early 17th century, Bhutan was first unified by Ngawang Namgyal. Ngawang Namgyal was a Buddhist monk. The country was ruled under the dual system of Tibetan government led by Zhabdrung. Zhabdrung is believed to be the reincarnation of the mind, speech, and body of Ngawang Namgyal.
The country experienced turmoil in the late 19th century because of being pulled apart by conflicts between the British Empire and Tibet. Consequently, a power struggle ensued between the then regional leaders and Ugyen Wangchuck.
Eventually, Ugyen Wangchuck the Ponlop (Governor) of Tongsa emerged as a dominant figure in Bhutan who united the country along with establishing satisfactory relations with British India.
The rise of Ugyen Wangchuck accentuated the ineffectiveness of the dual system. As a result, in November 1907, an assembly of government officials and religious leaders was held.
The assembly decided to terminate the 300-year-old dual system of government. They then established a new absolute monarchy with Ugyen Wangchuck as the king of the country.
Ugyen Wangchuck was crowned as the First King of Bhutan, Druk Gyalpo on 17th December 1907. Hence, the Wangchuck Dynasty was established which continues to rule Bhutan.
The Druk Gyalpo is the official title of the king of Bhutan, which means Dragon King in Dzongkha. Dzongkha is the official language of Bhutan and is closely related to Tibetan.
Geographical features of Bhutan
Geographically, Bhutan is divided into three regions from north to south; the Great Himalayas, the Lesser Himalayas, and the Duars Plain.
The northern part of Bhutan lies in the Great Himalayas that features snowcapped peaks with an elevation of more than 24,000 feet. The region also has high valleys at the elevations of 12,000 to 18,000 feet, running down from the northern glaciers.
The high ranges also have alpine pastures, mountains of the Plateau of Tibet, and a watershed between the southward and northward-flowing rivers.
Spurs from the Great Himalayas make up the ranges of the Lesser Himalayas. The north-south ranges constitute watersheds between the main rivers of Bhutan.
Many fertile valleys like Paro, Punakha, Thimphu, and Ha are situated at elevations ranging from 5,000 to 9,000 feet. These valleys are relatively broad and flat.
The third region of the country is the narrow Duars Plain, which forms a strip along the southern border of Bhutan. Duars Plain is called such because it is a gateway to the strategic mountain passes known as dwars or dooars.
These passes lead into the fertile valleys of the Lesser Himalayas. The southern part of the Duars borders India.
Economy
Bhutanese economy is mainly agrarian as the variations in climate and elevations across the country allow the country to support a wide variety of crops and livestock. Nevertheless, the piece of land available for agriculture is a small fraction of the whole area of Bhutan.
The main priority of the development of Bhutan has been to bring it out of geographic isolation. For that, Bhutan mainly relies on external assistance from the United Nations, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and its neighboring India.
The development budget of Bhutan has been devoted to the improvement of the infrastructure of the country. Its five-year development plan also emphasizes the exploitation of power and agricultural resources with the economy showing an upward trend.
Government: from absolute monarchy to parliamentary democracy
The tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan transitioned into a constitutional monarchy in 2008, after 100 years of rule by an absolute monarchy. The head of the state is the Bhutanese king whereas the executive power is wielded by the Council of Ministers or Lhengye Zhungtshog.
The Prime Minister heads the Council of Ministers. The legislative power is conferred in the bicameral Parliament, with the National Council being the upper house and National Assembly being the lower house.
Bhutan adopted its first modern Constitution in 2008. Consequently, the institutions of government and the legal framework for a democratic multi-party system were codified.
Climate of Bhutan
The climate of Bhutan is diverse; what with different geographical contours, like elevated summits, valleys, and plains. The country has three principal climatic regions; the cooler region of the Lesser Himalayas, the humid, hot, subtropical tract of the Duars Plain, and its adjacent foothills; as well as the alpine tundra region of the Great Himalayas. A temperate climate occurs exclusively in the central mountain valleys.
Ethnic groups and languages
Bhutan has three major ethnic groups; the Bhutia also known as Ngalop, the Sharchop, and the Nepalese. Bhutia are the descendants of Tibetan immigrants. They came southward to the area, at the beginning of the 9th century.
They are the largest ethnic group making up half of the country’s population and speak a variety of Tibeto-Burman languages as well as the most common of Dzongkha which is the official language of Bhutan. Moreover, the Bhutia dominate the political sphere of the country.
Religion
Three-fourths of the country’s population follows Buddhism of primarily the Tibetan variety. Aside from Buddhism, followers of Hinduism constitute nearly one-fourth of the population. There is also a tiny Christian population in Bhutan.
Demographic trends
The population of Bhutan is mainly young with nearly one-third being under age 15 and three-fifths being under 30. The birth rate, as well as the death rate, are below the global average. The average life expectancy for women in the country is 72 years whilst for men, it is 70 years.
Culture
Bhutan’s culture is strongly founded on Tibetan Buddhism. The country’s rich heritage is protected because of its isolation from the modern world until the 1960s.
The national dress of Bhutan for men is called the gho while for women is kira. It was introduced during the 17th century by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel with the intent to providing a unique identity to the Bhutanese.
The cuisine of Bhutan is largely impacted by Chinese and Indian cuisines. It includes meats such as pork, yak beef, chicken, and goat. However many vegetarian dishes are also popular.
One of the famous dishes is Zow shungo which is a rice dish combined with leftover vegetables. Another is Ema datshi which is a spicy dish made of large, green chili peppers in a cheesy sauce. Ema datshi might be called the national dish of Bhutan.
Flora and Fauna
Bhutan’s flora is recognized for its constant shift from tropical to alpine to temperate and has a great variety. Duars Plain has a moist zone of tropical deciduous vegetation. The lower elevations in the country have tall, dense grasses that are used in the manufacture of pulp and paper.
Between 3,000 and 6,000 feet are the forests of pine, with some oak. Higher elevations have forests that have ash, poplar, pine, oak, walnut, willow, aspen, rhododendron, and magnolia.
At the elevation of 6,000 and 9,000 feet are forests of fir, spruce, cypress, and juniper. Whereas birch is found at the height of 14,000 feet and alpine shrubs and grasses grow on the slopes of the Great Himalayas.
Sambar deer, rhinoceroses, elephants, tigers, gaurs (type of wild ox), and other animals are found in Bhutan along the Sankosh and Manas rivers. The government has established many protected sites like the Royal Manas National Park.
The Royal Manas National Park is adjoining India and is home to the rare golden langur (a slender long-tailed monkey). The country has also an extensive Jigme Dorji National Park in northwestern Bhutan.
Tourism in Bhutan
Bhutan, even though is a small and somewhat isolated country; is not an ordinary place. It is widely popular amongst international tourists because of its tourist places, colorful culture, delightful people, exclusive cuisine, dense forests, and enigmatic mountain.
Bhutan has hilltop monasteries with some of them being a century old and listed in the UNESCO Heritage List. One of the most famous landmarks of Bhutan is Tiger’s Nest or Paro Taktsang. It is a legendary monastery that hangs on the edge of a 3120 meter high Cliff off the valley of Paro.
Aside from that, the most noteworthy spots in the country are Punakha Dzong, Dochula Pass, Temple of the Divine Madman, or Chimi Lhakhang and Tashichho Dzong.
Dzongs are traditional Bhutanese fortresses that were built across the country during the 17th century as a fortification against invasions from Tibet.
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