A deeply traditional country, Bhutan today is caught between hope and fear, aspirations and apprehensions. It acknowledges the need for change but it is also afraid of the associated “evils” that a dramatic transformation could bring to Bhutanese society.

In his address, the new king said, “My deepest concern is that as the world changes, we may lose these fundamental values on which rests our character as a nation and people. It is critical that we are able to recognise Bhutanese character irrespective of how far we look back into the past or into the future. The Bhutan we see is vastly different. Yet, the character of our people and the nature of our fundamental values have remained unchanged.”

So, six months ago, in April 2008, if the country’s first democratic election sent a signal to the world that it had embarked on a journey of change, the coronation ceremony reinforced the message that Bhutan was rooted deeply in its past traditions and customs.

“We are learning, we are opening ourselves to the world. But we do not want to rush and falter,” said a senior bureaucrat of the Bhutanese government. The 74-year-old head abbot of Ruksum Gumpha, who has witnessed three coronations starting from the third king, echoes his sentiment: “The Buddhist religious rituals were performed to perfection for this fifth king’s coronation at Tashichhodzong fort. I saw what I had seen during the third king’s coronation. The only difference this time was that we had a host of guests watching the ceremony. This never used to happen before. We are not as closed as we used to be earlier.”

The new King is not oblivious to that either.

“Two years ago,” he said in his first address to the people, “at a time of profound change I came onto the throne as a young king. In these two short years, while we have taken gigantic steps towards strengthening our nation, we have done so in a calm, deliberate manner, in complete harmony.”

The new king appears grounded enough to deal with the challenges of his new job. The day he received the sacred scarves of the king at a ceremony in Punakha, he trekked a distance of nearly five kilometres on his way back from Simtokha dzong to the Royal Cottage, greeting virtually everybody who had lined up on the route. On November 6, the day he was crowned, he continued with the religious ceremonies for almost four hours before making a public appearance. When the crowd got impatient standing in long queues to reach him, he did a bit of crowd control as well, leaving his seat and launching right into the middle of the chaos. Again, in full view of the 25,000-strong spectators at the Changlingmethang stadium on Friday, the King blew kisses when he caught a glimpse of his nine siblings sitting in a special gallery.

He acknowledges the virtues of the reforms agenda that his father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, launched during his 34 years of rule and said he was committed to taking forward these changes. He emphasised the inner strength of Bhutanese people and talked about the “immense new challenges” and opportunities during these changing times. As a young leader he also demonstrated that he would largely bank on the youth to facilitate the transition to modernity.

“I will not rest till I have given you the inspiration and knowledge and the skills that will fulfill your aspirations. A strong, motivated, young Bhutan guarantees a strong bright future for the country,” he said.

Bhutanese government officials, district and zonal body functionaries say the new king has already received hands-on training from his father on the art of governance. In his interaction with the people, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has already established himself as as a king with a fresh and modern perspective on development, economic policies, education and the Bhutanese society.

Much of his modern outlook comes from his schooling abroad. He studied at schools in the United States and later attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts before studying at Oxford University’s Magdalen College.

He was groomed for the crown early and has travelled in Bhutan extensively, interacting with villagers, local village heads and regional council chiefs, acquainting himself with their problems.

Thimphu is not representative of Bhutan’s development story and Jigme Khesar knows that better than anyone else. According to the Poverty Analysis Report, 2007, in Bhutan, “Poverty is very much a rural phenomenon and living standards vary considerably across 20 districts. Improving access to credit in rural areas and assisting farmers to bring their produce to vegetable markets in the towns are some of the steps that need immediate attention.”

The report also underlined the need for private investments in basic social services, especially education in rural areas which have greater gender disparity.

Jigme Khesar appears to be in touch with reality. So when planning for the coronation ceremony had just begun, he issued a directive that the government should not aim at anything extravagant. The celebration should be simple and truly reflective of the country’s economic condition. “All extravaganza, therefore, had to be shelved,” said Yeshey Dorji, foreign secretary of the Bhutanese government. “The centenary planning had to be modelled accordingly. If a road was built or repaired, it was for the benefit of everyone, not the king alone. There is not a single structure in Bhutan that was built just for the coronation ceremony,” said Dorji.

Jigme Khesar has had his share of international exposure, too. He represented Bhutan in the United Nations General Assembly in 2002 and presented a forceful speech underlining the need for a global strategy and thrust to eradicate poverty, disease and hunger. His first official tour to India was in 2001, at the invitation of then President K.R. Narayanan, where he also met Sonia Gandhi.

His special areas of interest are said to be archery and nature conservation. A keen lover of the Bhutanese national sport, archery, Jigme Khesar is said to have won many awards in the sport. Sources say that when the new constitution was drafted, it was according to his wish that a specific benchmark was laid for the preservation of the country’s green cover.

“This year, so many changes have touched Bhutan. Probably, the best of them is that the country has got a mature, optimistic leader at its helm,” said Bhutan’s Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley. The country agrees.

The Raven Crown

The crown on King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck shows a raven’s head. It is bordered with an embroidered cloth that bears the motif of a skull, symbolising longevity, steadfastness and enlightenment. The raven is said to represent power, wisdom and intelligence. In Bhutan, raven nests are built on the walls of monasteries and Buddhists hold the bird in reverence. As a saying goes, killing a raven is as grave a crime as murdering 100 monks. The raven, the country’s national bird, is also its protective deity. A book on the mysteries of the raven crown says the “guardian deity” took the form of a raven to guide the founder of the Wangchuck dynasty, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, to Bhutan when he fled Tibet as a political refugee.

Bhutan’s Milestones

November 6, 2008

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck crowned the fifth king of Bhutan

March 2008

General election for the 47-member national assembly held and the country’s first democratically-elected government installed

July 2007

Political parties formed for the first time; seven cabinet ministers resign to join the parties

July 2007

National judicial commission established to streamline judicial reforms

April 2007

Nationwide mock election held in preparation for the general election in 2008

December 2005

The fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, announces his decision to step down and hand over the reign to the crown prince

March 2005

Draft constitution adopted and officially released