Setting The Record Straight!

I am not sure when Bhutan came to be called the “Land Of The Thunder Dragon”. Like everyone else, I found no reason to question the origins of the nomenclature - I just adopted it - as everyone else did. Then one day, a writer friend from Belgium sent me a photo of an impression of an old seal with the word “Druk” inscribed in Dzongkha script in the center of it.

Impression of the seal supposedly belonging to Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal with the word "Druk" on the Doongkar in the center

He wanted to know; “Does Druk mean Bhutan? Do you think this seal belonged to Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, as it is claimed?”

For a moment I was tempted to tell him “Yes - we are known as the “Land of The Thunder Dragon”, and that Druk means Dragon - the animal after which our country was supposedly named. But I am not sure if the seal belonged to Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal".

The only seal I know of that was supposedly issued by the Zhabdrung was the following:

The Nga Chudrukma Seal of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal

I hesitated - because, in my knowledge, the dragon that roared like the thunder is a mythical animal that existed only in legends and mythologies - both in Bhutan as well as across the globe. In reality, it did not exist. And yet, when I started my Blog, its banner was worded thus:

But my sense of curiosity was tickled by the Belgian friend and, after pondering for days, and weeks, I concluded that the word “Druk” could have been used to signify Druk Yuel - country of the people of Drukpa Kagyu faith - accepted as Bhutan’s state religion. So, I changed my Blog’s Banner to read as follows:

Over time though, I realized that this simply cannot be true - agreed that Drukpa Kagyu sect of Buddhism is accepted as the state religion practiced by Bhutan's State Monk Body (Zhung Dratsang). But side by side, we also have followers of the Nyingma sect - we have Christians, we have Hindus, Muslims and, quite surprisingly, even practitioners of a religious faith few would have heard of - the Baha’i faith.

So, once again, my Blog’s Banner went through a change - now, as you can see above, it reads:

I think the above is more appropriate and just - it encompasses the whole spectrum of people who are bona fide Bhutanese - and it leaves out the fire-spewing, jewel clutching reptilian that never existed!