Get happy people. Yes, it's the only country in the world to look at the idea of a gross national product and say 'screw that' and institute a national happiness index instead. Yes, it's the Land of the Dragon, home of the Thunder Dragon- put your hands together and get ready to Wangchuk tonight because this week... it's Bhutan.
Sandwiched between India and China, Bhutan is a Buddhist state and now a Constitutional Monarchy ruled by the Wangchuk Dynasty. In the local dialect, Bhutan means 'Land of the Dragon.' The dragon that you see on the flag is the Thunder Dragon. Traditionally in Bhutan, thunder is believed to be the sound of dragons roaring. And when a monastery was set up in 1200 called the Druk (the 'Thunder Dragon') with a sect called the Drukpas named after it, the dragon became Bhutan's national emblem and has been ever since.
The flag was adopted for national and civil usage in 1965. The saffron yellow in the flag denotes the authority of the King. Orange represents the Drukpa monasteries and religious practices. And the white in the Thunder Dragon represents purity and loyalty. The Dragon itself symbolizes 'Druk' the Tibetan name for the Kingdom of Bhutan. The jewels grasped in the claws represent wealth and the snarling mouth represents the strength of the male and female deities protecting the countries.
Ladies and gentlemen: Bhutan!
And until next time, keep your flags flying- freak or otherwise!
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