Bhutan At Her Best

By Thakur S Powdyel and Needrup Zangpo 

ISBN: 978-99980-928-0-8

Pages: 341

Nu 449

Jigme Wangchuk

What if we had forgotten who we were, are and, can be, our nation what it is and has always been? Failing to check on our vital senses and the essential goodness in our being—the consciousness itself—we run the risk of cutting short the flowering of the best in our hearts. These are trying times. The journey’s long and arduous, dark and demanding.

It is at such times that we need to delve deep into the uniqueness and the rare blessings that have together made Bhutan and the Bhutanese. Disruptions this way—as we are experiencing today— could be seen and seized as opportunities; hardships our launch pads to propel ourselves to our bigger and more sublime dreams. Thankfully­­, we have them all. We only need inspiring stories and perspectives to give us a sense of what we have achieved and what and how else we could better ourselves.

“Bhutan At Her Best” is here. Nothing else will give you a better reflection on Bhutan’s response to Covid-19 than the work of these two formidable writers who took upon themselves a challenging task of putting together the thoughts and talents of Bhutanese from as young as eight to eighty. Variety is more than spice of life.  “Bhutan At Her Best” offers a true picture of Bhutan and the Bhutanese.

The beauty of this book is that the publishers and editors have been far more liberal with their amazing skills. What they wanted was raw emotions and expressions because for them it was important to capture the true and sincere prayers from the Bhutanese—the old and young, the able and the infirm, the dreamers and philosophers.

“Bhutan At Her Best” so is here as raw and true as only the Bhutanese can offer. Especially at this time! “There comes a time in the life of a nation and a people when the worst fears of an advancing gloom bring out the best in them as they galvanise themselves for a common purpose and rally round an extraordinary leader.” This is former education minister Thakur S Powdyel. “One such time is now. One such nation: Druk Yul. One such people: Bhutanese. And, one such leader: His Majesty our beloved King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The galvanising force is the challenge of Covid-19.”

In the words of co-author and editor, Needrup Zangpo: “The threat of the pandemic and testing times is far from over. Yet, there is room for cautious optimism inspired by enlightened leadership and national solidarity. Understandably, we have not managed to keep the pandemic out, but we have managed to keep Bhutan at best.”

As unique as only Powdyelinism has aspired, and perhaps, achieved: “As anxious as we still are with the scourge of Covid-19 continuing to be a reality, it is a moment that witnesses the spontaneous manifestation of unparalleled national solidarity, a rare blossoming of altruism, and a most inspiring example of united effort galvanised to fight a common threat.

“This is nation-building in a special way. This is Bhutan at her best.”

Here in this compendium  are prose works and poetries inspiring and inebriating. To say nothing about the refined renditions of human thoughts in the many colours and dimensions.