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27-430: The Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP), named after the late Jigme Dorji Wangchuck , is the second-largest National Park of Bhutan . It was established in 1974 and stretches over an area of 4316 km, thereby spanning all three climate zones of Bhutan, ranging in elevation from 1400 to over 7000 meters. About 6,500 people in 1,000 households live within the park, from subsistence agriculture and animal husbandry. It

54-459: A five-year basis is a legacy from that period. The construction of roads expanded vigorously to the end of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck's reign; by his death, more than 1200 km (750 miles) of road had been built in the country. His last visit to central Bhutan was partly to open the Zhunglam, the highway between Wangdue Phodrang and Trongsa, in 1971. The king's priority was to continue deepening

81-640: A flourishing Buddhist culture . He commissioned Buddhist monuments, including a large statue of the Buddha near the parliament building in Thimphu, as well as ornate copies of Buddhist texts such as the Kangyur and Tengyur . He established Simtokha Rigzhung Lobdra (now known as the Institute of Language and Cultural Studies) in 1967, where a new breed of traditional scholars could be nurtured. He also increased

108-637: A keen interest in preserving the unique art, architecture and cultural heritage of Bhutan and in promoting research and scholarship on the kingdom. She often visits religious places in Bhutan and India. In commemoration of the Royal Grandmother's 87th birth anniversary, a book titled "The Heart of a Sacred Kingdom, Her Majesty the Royal Grandmother Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck: A Lifetime of Service to

135-417: A large scale undertaking became systematic two years later in 1961, with the commencement of the 1st Five Year Plan (FYP) that envisaged construction of 177 km of road, 108 schools, three hospitals, and 45 clinics. In 1961, motor road transport reached Thimphu . The systematic envisioning of the economic future of Bhutan through FYPs was put into practice in 1961. The idea of budgeting and programming on

162-509: Is also home to the Indian leopard , Himalayan serow , sambar , barking deer , Himalayan goral , Himalayan marmot , Himalayan pika , and more than 300 species of birds. It is also the only park in Bhutan where the national animal (takin), flower (blue poppy), bird (raven) and tree (cypress) exist together. Jigme Dorji also contains sites of cultural and economic significance. Mount Jomolhari and Mount Jitchu Drake are worshipped as homes of

189-631: Is listed as a tentative site in Bhutan's Tentative List for UNESCO inclusion. It occupies almost the entire Gasa District , as well as the northern areas of Thimphu District , Paro District , Punakha , and Wangdue Phodrang Districts . The park provides sanctuary for 37 known species of mammals including several endangered, threatened or vulnerable species, such as the Bhutan takin , snow leopard , clouded leopard , Bengal tiger , bharal or Himalayan blue sheep, black musk deer , Himalayan black bear , red panda , Ussuri dhole , and spotted linsang . It

216-667: Is the only queen grandmother in the world. In Bhutan she is called The Royal Grandmother . She was educated at the St Joseph's Convent, Kalimpong , India , as well as the House of Citizenship, London . In her reminiscence, the Queen notes: The Irish nuns of St. Joseph’s Convent were very well educated and taught us well. The nuns were most kind and loving to me and I in turn loved and respected them greatly. She married Crown Prince of Bhutan ( Druk Gyalsey ), Jigme Dorji Wangchuck , at

243-469: The Royal Bhutan Army was formally established in 1963. Furthermore, the entitlements of all officials were converted from commodities to cash and new designations were given. Wangchuck established new Ministries in 1968. The king paid considerable policy attention on preserving Bhutanese culture so that Bhutan could always perpetuate itself as a culturally distinct nation, in particular with

270-471: The culture of Bhutan , yet at the same time, he introduced Western science and technology. He was a forerunner among environmentalists in this part of the world. The Manas Sanctuary established in 1966 was one of the first in the region. In the context of Bhutan, there were small groups who were bonded labourers. They would work on the farms of the aristocratic and prominent families. In return, they would receive food, lodging and clothes. As soon as he became

297-464: The High Court, which was set up in 1968. These administrative and social reforms were prior to any economic modernisation programmes. In 1955, he intensified the conversion of commodity taxes to cash taxes by assessing land for cash taxation. Cash taxes were nominal, but moving from commodity taxes to cash taxes was a radical step at that time. Apart from promulgation of better laws and tax reforms,

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324-675: The King after his father died in Kuenga Rabten Palace. Coronation was held in Punakha Dzong on 27 October 1952. During his 20-year reign that ended in July 1972, the fundamental reorientation of Bhutanese society began. Wangchuck not only achieved the reorganisation of society and government, but also consolidated Bhutan's sovereignty and security. He mobilised resources from the international donors as aid. Wangchuck's strategy

351-573: The King, labourers who worked on the royal lands were made into tenants and sharecroppers instead of indentured labourers. Later, similar indentured labourers were set free in other areas of the country, especially in some parts of Eastern Bhutan , where they were concentrated. In 1953, Wangchuck opened the National Assembly of Bhutan in 1953 in Punakha Dzong . For the first time, elders from different gewogs (administrative units) were invited to voice their concerns, ideas and solutions for

378-478: The Ugyen Pelri Thang Palace, Paro , on 5 October 1951. She became Queen consort of Bhutan in 1952 when her husband, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck , ascended to the throne upon the death of his father. In 1953 she was expecting her first child, a daughter. Her first daughter arrived earlier than she expected as she was waiting for a Western doctor and her mother to travel to Thimphu to help with

405-401: The age of 20. In July 1972, Wangchuck traveled to Nairobi to receive treatment for this condition, but he died suddenly during this visit. The king's body was subsequently flown back to Bhutan to be cremated there. Kesang Choden (born 1930) Ashi Kesang Choden (born 21 May 1930) is the widow of King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck . She participates in royal duties of her own accord. She

432-524: The course of recorded history, causing lethal and destructive glacial lake outburst floods . Chief among the glaciers and glacial lakes within the park are Thorthormi, Luggye, and Teri Kang. As the seasons allow, temporary camps of laborers work within the park to reduce water levels to assuage the threat of flooding downstream. Jigme Dorji Wangchuck Jigme Dorji Wangchuck ( Dzongkha : འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་པོ་ འཇིགས་མེད་རྡོ་རྗེ་དབང་ཕྱུག་མཆོག་ , Wylie : jigs med rdo rje dbang phyug ; 2 May 1928 – 21 July 1972)

459-959: The delivery. The previous Queen, Ashi Phuntsho Choden , her maid, and the Bhutanese doctor Phenchun helped to deliver her daughter. Her children with the Third Druk Gyalpo were: In 1972, she was appointed regent when her husband was ill. She has also been a patron of annual prayers conducted for the well-being and security of the King, country, and the people. She provides subsistence allowance to about 500 monks and tshampas (lay monks) in various monasteries in Bumthang , Dokar Phurdrub Gompa and Euto Gompa in Paro , Nyala Gompa in Trongsa and Jangsa Gompa in Kalimpong , India. She also has

486-534: The excellent relationship with India. The second priority was to diversify the relationship with other countries. He intended to strike close economic relationship with Bangladesh . Bhutan was the first nation after India to recognise the independence of Bangladesh. One key event in his era was enabling Bhutan to join the United Nations in 1971, when it became its 125th member. Wangchuck suffered from long-term heart problems; he had his first heart attack at

513-586: The future of this country. At the same time, it was a forum for Wangchuck to share his larger vision for Bhutan in the years to come. After the National Assembly was established in 1953, the king drafted and devised a series of progressive laws for the Kingdom. The King brought out a holistic set of laws covering fundamental aspects of Bhutanese life such as land, livestock, marriage, inheritance, property and so forth. The Thrimzhung Chenmo (Supreme Law)

540-482: The local deity. The fortresses of Lingshi Dzong and Gasa Dzong are sites of historical importance. The rivers Mo Chhu , Wangdi Chhu and Pa Chhu ( Paro Chhu ) have their sources in the glacial lakes located in the park. Jigme Dorji National Park covers most of northern Gasa District , including the bulk of Lunana and Laya Gewogs . These gewogs are the site of some of the most notable and precarious glaciers of Bhutan . These glaciers have thawed significantly over

567-515: The number of monks in many dratshangs. During his reign the systematic phonetic, syntax and grammatic rules of Dzongkha language were devised. To propagate culture and traditions in schools, and to study scientific disciplines as well as humanities, the Third King established modern education on a wide spread basis. He established what were then the centres of education excellence with two public schools: Yangchenphug, in western Bhutan in 1969, and

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594-409: The other, Kanglung, in eastern Bhutan in 1968. An Agriculture Department was created to improve nutrition and to generate income from horticulture. The Kingdom's free health service was also founded. Modernising Bhutan's infrastructure for transportation, communications, education, health system and agriculture started after India was receptive enough to offer aid. India became independent in 1947, and

621-578: Was appointed Trongsa Dronyer and then elevated as the 25th Paro Penlop in 1950, upon the death of the 24th Paro Penlop , Tshering Penjor (1902–1949). Wangchuck married Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck (born 1930), the daughter of Gongzim (Lord Chamberlain) Sonam Topgay Dorji (1896–1953), at the Ugyen Pelri Palace, Paro , on 5 October 1951. The royal wedding was held at the Garden Palace. The following year, Wangchuck became

648-490: Was not in any immediate position to help Bhutan. Wangchuck officially visited India in 1954. The first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru made a historic journey to Bhutan in September 1958. King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck then paid repeated visits to India. A year after Nehru visited Bhutan in 1958, the development of Bhutan's modern infrastructure began, with assistance from India. Although road construction started in 1959,

675-418: Was passed by the National Assembly in 1959. The laws are very organic, coherently interrelated within themselves and to the evolving reality and manifested his vision of law-based society. Along with the promulgation of Thrimzhung Chenmo, a mechanism to implement and enforce laws was needed. Wangchuck decided to open the judiciary, first with the appointment of Thrimpons (judges) in districts, and then finally to

702-731: Was the 3rd Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan. He began to open Bhutan to the outside world, began modernization, and took the first step towards democratization . Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was born in 1928 in Thruepang Palace in Trongsa . At a young age, he was apprenticed in etiquette and leadership at the royal court of his father the King. Wangchuck was educated in a British manner in Kalimpong and Bishop Cotton School, Simla and he went on study tours to many foreign countries such as Scotland and Switzerland from where he drew inspiration to develop Bhutan with suitable adaptations. In 1943, he

729-486: Was to broaden the source of aid by developing relationships with other countries. Bhutan joined the Colombo Plan in 1962 to obtain international aid. However, India became the main source of financial and technical assistance. He was a deft and farsighted planner in the sense that he modernised Bhutan without destabilizing its culture and tradition. Wangchuck brought modern techniques and methods to preserve and promote

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