Q1.
The emblem of Bhutan. Notice the dragons that symbolise the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’. What other elements look familiar?
Answer
Almost everything else in the emblem comes from the shared Indian–Buddhist world of symbols. Look past the two dragons and you will recognise:
- The crossed vajras at the centre — the vajra (the thunderbolt or diamond sceptre) is the symbol that gives Vajrayāna Buddhism its name, the ‘Diamond Vehicle'. The chapter tells us it was Guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) who introduced Vajrayāna to Bhutan in the 8th century CE, and that it “remains central to Bhutan's religious identity”.
- The lotus below — the lotus (padma) is one of the oldest Indian symbols, used in Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina art alike, standing for purity.
- The jewel at the top — the flaming jewel, the precious gem of Buddhist teaching.
- The ring of lotus petals around the whole disc — the same circular petal border you see framing Indian temple and monastery art.
The dragons themselves are the Bhutanese element, symbolising ‘Drukyul', the Land of the Thunder Dragon — though even here the chapter adds an Indian meaning: the dragon on Bhutan's emblem and flag “is said to symbolise ‘the thunderous voice of the Buddha's teachings'.”
Why it happens: Bhutan's national symbol was designed out of the Buddhism it received from India. Emblems are made of whatever a people hold sacred, so an emblem is a quick way of reading a country's cultural history. Bhutan's says, in one circle, that it is a Himalayan kingdom of its own — and that its faith came over the mountains from India.
Try This: compare it with the emblem on India's own currency and passport. India's is the Lion Capital of Aśhoka, with the Dharma chakra below. Both countries chose Buddhist symbols for their national emblem — a small proof of the shared heritage this chapter describes.