Bhutan Echoes festival kicked off with a celebration of culture and tradition

Yangyel Lhaden

The ominous black clouds and the incessant drizzle did not dissuade people from all walks of life to come out to attend the opening day of the 13th edition of Bhutan Echoes: Drukyul’s Literature and Arts Festival (DLAF) on August 3.

By 9am, the auditorium of the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) was filled to the brim. And thus began, yet another celebration of Bhutanese art and literature in the capital, Thimphu.

Bhutan Echoes, co-founded by Her Majesty the Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck as a Bhutan-India initiative, has become a vibrant platform for cultural exchange, since 2010.  The festival is supported by India-Bhutan Foundation and the Indian Embassy.

This year’s theme ‘Enlighten, Evolve, and Evoke’ invites participants to embark on a journey of exploration and personal growth, encouraging deep reflection on Bhutan’s timeless literary and artistic traditions while fostering a spirit of positive transformation and global connection.

The festival’s set design draws inspiration from a traditional Bhutanese living room, an intimate space where stories, ideas, and daily life unfold. This setting, complete with an altar and windows overlooking Bhutan’s picturesque landscape, serves as a metaphorical portal for examining the past, understanding the present, and envisioning the future.“Designed as a traditional Bhutanese living room, it allows the audience to connect intimately with the dialogues, as if they were in their own home,” a DLAF official said.

The DLAF 2024 opened with a touching performance by a father-daughter duo, who offered a Boedra rendition as an ode to Yangchenma, the goddess of wisdom, literature, and poetry.

This soulful invocation set the tone for the day’s proceedings, which began with a profound conversation titled ‘Echoes of the Soul: Exploring the mysteries of rebirth’.

Her Majesty the Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, in conversation with Meru Gokhale, a former publisher at the Penguin Press Group and founder of EDITRIX.AI, delved into the enigmatic questions of reincarnation, the soul’s journey after death, and the existence of an afterlife. Questions like: “Do you believe in reincarnation? What happens to the soul after death? Is there an afterlife?” were asked.

Her Majesty also shared a deeply personal story of recognising the first royal child as the reincarnation of Vairochana Rinpoche, offering a unique perspective on these timeless mysteries.

The day’s lineup featured a range of topics, book launches, and panel discussions. The Chief Executive of CG Corp Global, Binod Chaudhary, launched his book ‘Making It Big’. His company’s popular product ‘Wai Wai’ is a household name in Bhutan.

This year’s festival brought together a multitude of stories from around the world, with 70 speakers and participants from 14 countries, offering 34 sessions and 14 engaging workshops.  Highlights included a Flamenco dance workshop sponsored by the Embassy of Spain.

The RUB Auditorium was just one of several venues. Other locations included the Royal Textile Academy, where art sessions and children’s workshops were hosted, and the Lugar Theater, where international films such as ‘La Tresse’ from France, ‘Last Film Show’ from India, and Bhutan’s own ‘Silent Walls’ were screened, and and Thimphu Deluxe, which hosted discussions.

The three-day festival concludes today.