Tribute
The True Son of a Lion
Lopen Pemala, an 83-year-old historian and scholar, remembers when His Majesty delivered his first speech to the National Assembly at the age of 16, "We came away surprised and deeply moved by his words. Here was a true leader. His Majesty showed himself to be the true son of a ... [more]
The Courage to Act
I served His Majesty the fourth King for 10 years on his personal staff, and it was a most wonderful experience.One of the most striking qualities of the fourth Druk Gyalpo is his kindness. He would always look into the welfare of all his staff... whether we were eating well, that ... [more]
The Blessings of Chenrezig
Aum kinley Tshering has been blessed. She says that the personification of Chenrezig has touched her. It was in 1997 that the former tshogpa stood near His Majesty the King during the dzongkhag's Seventh Plan meeting."Because of His Majesty we now have roads. For those without electricity, His Majesty has ... [more]
Our Most Trusted Parent
Ugyen, a retired chimi says, "The fourth Druk Gyalpo has improved the people's livelihood, brought economic progress, political reform and even risked his own life for the security of Bhutan. He is a true heart son of the people and our most trusted parent. We were filled with sorrow on ... [more]
Monarchy, the soul of Bhutan
The development of Bhutan in the last 34 years is something that is almost unimaginable for most people. We're still a developing country, but Bhutan was a different place 30 years ago. Thimphu was like a village - there were no proper roads, everything was dusty and dirty, there was ... [more]
Meeting my King
Tashi is all smiles whenever he recalls the moment when he first me His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo. It was in 1997 in Sarpang, and he was six years old. He was a kindergarten student at the primary school. That morning his father had told him that His Majesty the ... [more]
How Can a King Retire?
The fourth Druk Gyalpo's retirement shocked the Bhutanese. "We have never heard of such a thing. How can a King retire? What kind of a foreign idea is this?" asks 74-year-old Agay Dago from Paro. "He is the sun in our lives... what we eat, what we wear, we owe ... [more]
His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck: An Epic King
Bhutan had been, and I feel it will always be, blessed with selfless rulers who put the country before self. Having said that, I think the fourth King, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, will always stand apart. What Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal initiated 400 years ago, the fourth Druk Gyalpo consolidated ... [more]
A Visionary King
Seventy-three-year-old Tulsi Ram Bhandari teaches at one of Bhutan's two Sanskrit institutes in Sarpang Dzongkhag. He first met His Majesty the King in 1988. Over the years, the Pandit has been in the fourth Druk Gyalpo more than 15 times, mostly during the Durga Puja ceremony at the Samtenling Royal ... [more]
A Tribute
I had the great honour and privilege of serving His Majesty since his days at school in North Point, Darjeeling in the early 1960s, until he became the Crown Prince in 1972 at the tender age of sixteen. Hence, I take pride in saying that I have served His Majesty for a ... [more]