Flag of Bhutan

The national flag of Bhutan is one of the official symbols of the Kingdom of Bhutan. It is based on a tradition from the Drukpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism about the Druk, the thunder dragon according to the mythology of that culture. The elemental design of the insignia, by Mayeum Choying Wangmo Dorji, dates from 1947 and was displayed during the signing of the treaty with India two years later. A second version was introduced in 1956 by the visit of the Druk Gyalpo to eastern Bhutan; According to the graphic documentation, it is based on the previous design, although the dragon was colored white, instead of the green it previously had.

Subsequently, the flag was redesigned to have similar dimensions to those of neighboring India, as they thought it would look better when flown. Other modifications, which included changing the color red to orange, came into force in 1968 or 1969. Likewise, the National Assembly approved a code of conduct in 1972 in order to formalize a design of the flag, which established a protocol in which the acceptable sizes and conditions for flying it were made official.

Origins

Bhutan has been known by numerous names throughout history, but locals call the country by the term "Druk", which refers to the thunder dragon. This tradition dates back to 1189, when Tsangpa Gyare, founder of the Drukpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, was in Phoankar, Tibet, where he supposedly witnessed a rainbow and the shining of light in the Namgyiphu Valley. Because of this, he considered the area as a favorable place, and decided to enter the valley and choose a place to build a monastery. The selected area was the one where he heard three thunderclaps, sounds that according to popular Bhutanese belief were produced by the dragon. In that building the Ralung monastery was founded, while the teaching school was known as Druk, which later divided into three lineages. One of them, Drukpa, was founded by Tsangpa Gyare's nephew and his spiritual heir, Önrey Dharma Sengye, and, because of this legend, it later spread throughout Bhutan and gives an idea of the dragon symbolism and why it is part of the national flag. The country would also later be known as "Druk". An alternative hypothesis holds that the idea of symbolizing sovereignty and statehood in the form of a dragon arose in neighboring China and was later adopted by the governors of Bhutan as a symbol of royalty in the early 20th century. ="font-variant:small-caps;text-transform:lowercase">XX.

Current flag

Design

The current flag is divided diagonally from the lower left corner with the upper triangle yellow and the lower orange. Centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing the upper end of the diagonal, while holding a norbu or jewel in each of its claws. The background colors, yellow and orange, are identified by Pantone 116 and 165, respectively. Equivalent hues, including dragon white, can be specified using other matching systems, as specified below:

Likewise, the dimensions of the flag must be maintained in a ratio of 3:2, while the following sizes are those declared "standard" by the Government of Bhutan:

• 6.4 m × 4.3 m.
• 3.7 m × 2.4 m.
• 1.8 m × 1.2 m.
• 0.9 m × 0.6 m.
• 23 cm × 15 cm for designs in vehicles.

Symbolism

According to the Legal Provisions of the National Flag of the Kingdom of Palden Drukpa as support in Resolution 28 of the 36th Session of the National Assembly held on June 8, 1972, the Yellow refers to civil tradition and temporal authority personified in the Druk Gyalpo, whose royal costume traditionally includes a yellow scarf. For its part, orange means Buddhism as a spiritual authority. Druk, the thunder dragon, is expanded equally from the line between the colors, hinting at the importance of both civic and monastic traditions in the “Dragon Kingdom” and representing the strength of the sacred bond. between sovereignty and the people. While the white color symbolizes the purity of the deeds and inner thoughts that unite the diverse people of Bhutan. The jewels hanging from the dragon's claws refer to the wealth, protection and safety of its people, while the mouth Roaring refers to the commitment of the deities to the defense of the country.

Historical evolution

The Center for Bhutan Studies, an independent research institution in the country, issued an article—hereinafter, “CBS Document”— that provides the most complete record of the historical development of the national flag. This 2002 document represents the first and only attempt by a Bhutanese agency to research and compile comprehensive information on the evolution of the country's insignia. The report draws heavily from first-hand reports obtained through interviews with individuals who were personally involved in the creation and modification of the flag during the last century, making it a primary source about its history. Despite the empirical research-oriented objective of the Center for Bhutan Studies, certain points of the report do not seem to correspond with the photographic evidence, which calls into question the validity of some of its assertions. However, a more complete and reliable synthesis of primary sources has yet to emerge. One must take into account the reality that some primary sources—namely, people involved in the flag's history and a few existing government recordings—are outlined in the document; However, it is a valuable source of information about the Bhutanese flag that would otherwise be poorly documented.

First national flag (1949)

The CBS Document mentions that the first national flag was designed following the request of Jigme Wangchuk, the second 20th century dragon king of the Kingdom of Bhutan, and was introduced in 1949 after the signing of the treaty with India. Although the document does not provide any illustration of the original design, the first Bhutanese flag can be seen thanks to black and white photographs taken at the historic event.

Its design was attributed to Mayeum Choying Wangmo Dorji in 1947. On the other hand, it is said that Lharip Taw Taw, one of the few painters available to the royal court at the time, was in charge of its embroidery. The dragon was colored light green according to religious and traditional references to the "yu druk ngonm" or "turquoise dragon". Today, there is a reproduction of this historic and original flag - although with several significant changes due to the influence of the new flag—which is displayed behind the throne in the National Assembly hall in Thimphu.

According to the CBS Document, the original Bhutanese flag was a two-color square divided diagonally, from the lower left corner to the upper right corner. The yellow area extended from the upper half, while the red area covered the lower half. In the center of the insignia, where both colors converge, a green dragon was placed parallel to the lower edge and facing the outer area.

However, that same article does not illustrate early versions of the flag, and its description of the 1949 flag is not entirely consistent with surviving photos from 1949. It describes the flag as "square," while the proportions In the images they fit better in a 4:5 ratio. Additionally, the dragon is described as "looking [at] the outer edge," when it can be seen to have its back turned to it. The creature is described as "parallel to the outside" - meaning, according to a diagram attached to the document, parallel to the length of the flag's bottom edge - while illustrations show it tilting slightly upward. It is also stated that the dragon is "green" in color, but with the tone of the photos, if it really was that color, it would be very pale. Western books until 1970 usually showed the flag of the Tibetan nation very similar to the from the 1949 photos.

Flag of 1956

The second version of the national flag was developed in 1956 for the third visit of the third Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck to eastern Bhutan. Members of the king's secretariat began wearing badges with a new design during the trip, as can be seen in a photograph of the flag from 1949, but the dragon is painted white instead of green. The monarch's entourage included a convoy with more than one hundred ponies, whose mounts carried a small version of the flag on at least ten of them, while a large one—six feet square (≃0.56 m²)—was flown on the camp every night, accompanied by the sound of a bugle.

Changes after 1956

In the late 1950s, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck asked Dasho Shingkhar Lam, former secretary to the king and sixth speaker of the National Assembly (1971-1974), to make several modifications to the flag, which made him responsible for the design of the same, which has remained unchanged until 1969. Supposedly, the monarch was not satisfied that the old square insignia did not fly like the rectangular Indian flag displayed during a visit by an officer from that country to Bhutan. From then on, the standard measurements were modified to make his flag similar to that of the neighboring country, which has dimensions of 9 feet (≃2.74 m) × 6 feet (≃1.83 m).

In another change, the dragon, which had been placed in a roughly horizontal position in the center of the badge, was repositioned to span the diagonal line dividing the background colors. The objective of this transformation was to prevent the creature from "facing" the ground when the banner was hanging and not standing erect. The Bhutanese artist Kilkhor Lopen Jada made a new design for the entity in which the curvature of its body is softened so that its turns appear less abrupt. Furthermore, as mentioned in the CBS Document, the president ordered that the lower half of the emblem be changed from red to orange "sometime in 1968 or 1969." The first time the Bhutanese flag was flown abroad was in 1961 in India, while on a state visit to Jigme Dorji Wangchuck; Since then, relations between both nations have progressed significantly.

Code of conduct

On June 8, 1972, the National Assembly approved Resolution 28, which made the National Flag Standards proposed by the Cabinet effective. The rules had eight provisions that covered the description and symbolism of the flags. colors, as well as the elements that contain it. The size it must have is also described, as well as the protocol and places where it must be flown, and how it must be displayed on vehicles. Generally, the flag must be respected with the same importance as the State itself and its head and, as in the United States Code, no other flag must be placed higher than the national one, it cannot be used as coating - except in certain cases - nor should it touch the ground. Other provisions include a prohibition on depicting it on logos and objects, although exceptionally it can be used to cover coffins of high-ranking leaders, such as ministers or military personnel.

The 1972 rules also stipulate that “each dzongkhag—district office—shall hoist the national flag. When there is no dzongkhag, the national flag will be hoisted in front of the office of the chief official governor. Officers above the rank of ministers are permitted to fly the emblem at their designated residence, provided they do not live near the capital. The custom of flying the national flag in front of government offices did not exist in Bhutan until before 1968, but it was decreed as a common practice by the Druk Gyalpo after its secretary was transferred from the city of Taba to Dzong Tashichoe that year. The only Flag Day recorded in the 1972 rules It is National Day, celebrated every year on December 17. That day also commemorates the coronation of Ugyen Wangchuck as the first king of Bhutan, which took place on that day in 1907.