Bhutan is a country in south-central Asia, situated in the Eastern Himalayas. The sound of thunder in the mountains of Bhutan is supposed to be the voice of dragons, so Bhutan is well known as the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’. The head of state of the Kingdom of Bhutan is called Druk Gyalpo by the Bhutan people. The flag is a piece of cloth or similar material that exhibits the symbol of a community, an armed force, a state, an individual, or an organisation. The Bhutan flag is a dynamic sign of the nation’s unique legacy and culture. 

Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan

Ugyen is the first Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan. Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck is known as the Father of Modern Bhutan. He is credited with opening Bhutan to the outside world and beginning the modernisation of the Kingdom. The flag is based upon the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, which is the main religion of Bhutan.

Meaning of the national flag of Bhutan

Dzongkha is the national language of Bhutan, and the dragon is called ‘Druk’. It is the name of one of the two national air carriers of Bhutan. 

• Mayeum Choying Wangmo Dorji selected the Dragon as the sign of the Kingdom of Druk. 
• It is probably that the dragon was adopted from the Qing Dynasty in China, which had a similar flag. China was a neighbouring country to Bhutan.
• The dragon also refers to the Drukpa branch of Buddhism, which is the national religion of the Buddhist Kingdom. 

History of the flag 

The Bhutanese flag was first created in 1947 by Mayum Choying Wangmo Dorji but has seen some changes since then. The two colours and the dragon of the flag remain unchanged, but the design and the colour of the dragon have been altered. 

The first version of the Bhutan national flag

• During the Indo-Bhutan Treaty of 1949, the flag had a square shape, divided diagonally, with a yellow upper part, a red lower part, and a green dragon placed in the middle. 
• The turquoise dragon ‘Yu Druk Ngonm’ was decorated on the authentic flag by court painter Lharip Taw Taw.

The second version of the Bhutan national flag

• The Bhutan government greeted the Indian officials in Bhutan in late 1956. They observed that the Indian flag had a 2:3 size proportion to the Bhutanese flag, and hence, flew well. 
• It was decided to redesign the size of the Bhutan flag based on the dimension of the Indian flag, which is 9 feet by 6 feet. The green colour of the dragon was changed to white and set linearly. 
• The red colour of the flag in the upper part was changed to orange in the late 60s to represent Buddhism.

Colours of the flag 

• The orange on the flag symbolises Buddhism, like the robes Buddhist monks of the Drukpa tradition wear.
• The yellow expresses the heritage and the power of the leader of Bhutan, dubbed the Dragon King.
• As orange and yellow are equal parts on the flag, Buddhism and nobility have equal importance in the kingdom as their leading force.
• The dragon in the middle of the flag denotes the king and is white to portray religious purity. It also represents a neutral approach in the service of all tribal and linguistic communities of Bhutan.
• The dragon is depicted grasping pearls, which are the prosperity and wealth of Bhutan. The growling dragon expresses the stability of the kingdom in its defences.

Size of the flag

The National Assembly resolved that the dimension of the national flag should measure 3:2. However, a few approved dimensions of this ratio are 21 by 14 ft, 12 by 8 ft, 6 by 4 ft, 3 by 2 ft, and 9 by 6 inches. The smallest size is used for flag cars. 

Conclusion

Bhutan is called the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’, and the sound of thunder in the mountains represents the voice of dragons. The people of Bhutan call the head of the state Druk Gyalpo. The yellow-orange colour is symbolic of the king’s power, while the orange is associated with the religious commitment of the nation. The dragon is white, symbolising purity and the loyalty of various traditional groups within the country. The flag of Bhutan has changed from its original version to make it more modern.