A day ahead of the 118th national day of Bhutan, the lush green lawn of the mountain kingdom’s consulate general in Dum Dum wore a festive look, with fairy lights in the trees. “Tomorrow our focus will be on the celebrations in Thimphu, so we are holding our reception on the eve,” an official said.
Consul general Tashi Penjore explained the significance of the day. “On this day in 1907, our first hereditary monarch, Ugyen Wangchuk, was enthroned. Under his leadership, Bhutan became a stable and unified nation.”
In 2008, a century later, parliamentary democracy was introduced in Bhutan as King Jigme Singye Wangchuk devolved executive authority to a democratically elected government. “Such a peaceful voluntary transition,” he pointed out, was “unprecedented” in history.
The consul general also spoke at length of the contributions of the “Great Fourth”, as the fourth king of the Wangchuk dynasty is called, and how last November, Bhutan celebrated the 70th birth anniversary of the monarch who had promulgated the unique philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH).
“India has been Bhutan’s close development partner since the launch of our first five-year plan in 1961. The state of West Bengal shares a long open border with Bhutan and serves as a primary route for trade, commerce and transit both within India and other countries. Calcutta is Bhutan’s gateway to the sea and its role in facilitating economic connectivity is indispensable. It is also a key hub of healthcare, education and essential services for us,” he noted.
Chief guest Nandini Chakravorty. German consul general Barbara Voss with her colleague and husband Franz Kemper
The establishment of Gelephu Mindfulness City, a Special Administrative Region coming up under the Royal Charter of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, founded on principles of sustainable economic growth, technological advancement, environmental protection, clean energy and high-quality healthcare and education, also came up in his address. “It is the most transformative undertaking in Bhutan’s history. The project spans over 2,500sq km in Bhutan’s southern foothills, bordering Assam — three times the size of Singapore. It seeks to attract mindful businesses and responsible investment,” Penjore said.
Chief guest Nandini Chakravorty, the state government representative, commended Bhutan for a “remarkable journey of progress, resilience and enlightened governance”, with a special mention for GNH, which she described as a “visionary approach that places human well-being, cultural preservation and ecological balance on the forefront”.
The guests were particularly thrilled to sample the Bhutanese fare, prepared by a team of nine from Bhutan. “We are Desups (members of Bhutan’s premier volunteer programme founded in 2011 by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck). We are here for five days,” said Rinchen Wangdi. They had come to donate blood at Tata Medical Centre, to compensate for the requirements of countrymen under treatment there but the day of the donation was three days away. “We have prepared two soups and seven dishes,” he added, to supplement the fare laid out by a professional caterer.
This meant they had been busy in the kitchen from morning, chopping beans, carrots and radishes. The trickiest dish to make, said Pema Wangdi, an engineer, was Egg Datshi, a scramble of egg, Bhutanese cheese and chilli flakes.
With a large number of guests coming back for repeat servings, their labour of patriotic love seemed to be well-received.
In the queue were three Bhutanese students as well. “We miss home-cooked food,” said Kuenzang Lhazom, a third-year student of Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College who had come dressed in traditional Tego and Kira. On being pointed out that the college was opposite a movie hall (Navina), Sangay Regdol said he had watched one Bollywood movie so far, Animal, with friends.
Other than liquor, the guests were treated to canned fruit juice — from the nation’s orchards — at the bar.