Adorned with the lofty Himalayan peaks each wrapped with crystalline flakes of ethereal beauty the country is deeply steeped in the doctrines of Vajrayana Dharma. The inhabitants have long been acquainted with various values of loyalty, gratitude and unity, and they believe in the consequences of one’s thought and action and its proportional repercussions. This might be the reasons why peace has prevailed in this Land of Thunder Dragon since long before and that the colonizers never conquered her when many countries big and small around the globe went through the unbearable trauma of losing their national identity and getting them colonized by other power nations.
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| Bhutan-The Last ShangriLa |
Ever since the enthronement of First Druk Gyalpo on 17th December 1907, all the internal strife has totally. Our kings have made every possible effort to strengthen the solidarity of the nation and maintained the perpetual flow of peace and happiness for their subjects. It is only because there is little or no indifferences among the people, that peace and prosperity prevail in Bhutan though her economy is one of the poorest in the world. Our benevolent and dynamic kings treat us with fatherly love and intimate affection. Happiness is deeply rooted together with the Buddhist principles and Bhutanese by virtue are the luckiest people born in this mythical land once known as Last Shangri la.
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| K4 coronation in 1974. |
It is always a matter of great pride and satisfaction to be a part of historic national events in a tiny Fairy Tale Kingdom of Bhutan. As far as I can recall, I have witnessed three major national celebrations. The first one being the Silver Jubilee Celebration of His Majesty the Fourth Kings Ascension to the Golden Throne on 2nd June 1999. Then, I was just a primary school kid yet I could still remember how we prepared for the great day in one of the schools in a remote corner of Bhutan, and in that case by all the people of Bhutan. A grand celebration was held in Changlimithang, but sadly, there was no LIVE telecast like today during those days. Television was first introduced on that very memorable day. It was a momentous day where Bhutanese people commemorated the outstanding achievements of His Majesty in his 25 year reign, and paying tribute and singing paeans for everlasting peace and tranquility in the kingdom, and expressing prayers for the good health and long life of His Majesty the King.
It’s worth mentioning here that His Majesty the fourth King was only seventeen years old when he took the responsibility as the King of Bhutan in 1972. Coronation Celebration was formally held two years later on June 2, 1974 and he became the youngest monarch in the world then. It was during the coronation speech that His Majesty the fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck said that Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product, which has become the guiding philosophy of Bhutan’s Economic development, and now Happiness is one of the Millennium Development Goals of United Nations as proposed by Bhutan. By the time we celebrated the silver jubilee celebration, our young king has tirelessly achieved many developmental goals and decentralized many powers for the betterment of people at grassroot level. Finally before his abdication from the Golden throne in 2006, he gifted the nation and the people with the Sacred Constitution, making Bhutan the youngest democracy in the world.
to continue, click here .........to be continued...,
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