Bhutan, 2008 and beyond

I enjoy photography, so I am going to wish all of you a very Happy New Year with the following pictures.

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I started this blog on 19th September, 2007. Since then I have managed to post (mostly copy and paste) 25 stories. As of today, 1694 of you from 52 countries have visited me according to Google Analytics. I thank you all for visiting my blog, and I promise to do better in 2008.

Here is a list of posts that generated quite a lot of buzz:

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Kuensel editorial from the 19 December issue titled “From vision to reality” sums up what all of us felt about the 2007 National Day:

It was a moment that carried the weight of Bhutanese history. On the morning of December 17, 2007, exactly 100 years after Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck began the reign of the Wangchuck dynasty, the fourth Druk Gyalpo, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and His Majesty the King, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, bowed to each other, their Royal Scarves lowered in the traditional gesture of respect.

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On this historic day, when the nation is gathered as one, I offer, on behalf of the People and King, our love and gratitude to His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, whose 34 years of service have brought about a strong, prosperous nation on the cusp of an even brighter future as a democracy.

With our heartfelt gratitude, I also offer our pledge to fulfill His Majesty’s vision for a nation founded on the philosophy of Gross National Happiness and the principles and ideals of Democracy.

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Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck’s (1862-1926) reputation as statesman swelled amongst the people of Bhutan when he took over the helm of affairs of eastern Bhutan as Trongsa Penlop in 1882. This, however, injected fear into his adopted brothers Thimphu Dzongpon Alo Dorji and Punakha Dzongpon Phuntsho Dorji. The assassination plan that they conspired led to the Battle of Changlimithang of 1885. This event, often described as Bhutan’s “last civil war”, consolidated Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck’s authority as the undisputed leader of Bhutan. A man of vision and a seasoned diplomat, he successfully restored the prolonged strained relations between British-India and Bhutan by accompanying Younghusband to Tibet in 1904 as a mediator. As a mark of appreciation for successful mediation in 1904 between Tibet and the British he was accorded with the insignia of the Knight Commander of the Indian Empire in Punakha Dzong in 1905.

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