Dorji Tenzin: Random Thoughts like Cries of a Clown

The dusk has just set in after farewell of yellow balls into western horizon. I and my friend were afraid of darkness roamed the shrub meadow. More than that, we were afraid of his father whose hand was much faster than his scold. We had just lost a track of a heifer. It had strayed away from the herd. We looked for any footprint or sign towards deep cliff. Finally, we found it on the crest of cliff precariously enjoying the lush virgin grass. In enjoyment, it had forgotten home. We are late for putting cattle into coral. Our sisters were calling for us on top of their husky voice. Some cattle had reached home while some had strayed on the ways. We made that heifer move homeward as fast as we could because our hair was rising due to fear of darkness. At the opposite side of the river, we saw a flicker of light firstly dim and intensifying. Suddenly that light manifested into numerous lights linearly. Then again it became one. Look at that demon-light, we told each other. The swe...

In morning of 30 th November 2012, I worriedly went to office and browsed the rcsc website. My heart was pounding as if some shamans in night were about to foretell my future. My name was not in top five which was of course expected. My name was not in top ten which started sending red light through my spine. As I scroll the mouse, it was neither in top 20. The perspiration streamed through pores of the skin.   I was worried that my name might to be in league of 36 which was a ticket to RIM. Many graduates would kill to get those limited spots if opportunities were to be given to strongest. God, my name was in 23 rd rank for PGDPA programme. That was quite low even by my own expectation. The mixture of relief and overpowering sense of inferiority gripped my feelings.   My first question was; where did I go wrong? Then it was followed by zillions of others. Could examiners be wrong? I was shaken to core. The complex sort of inferiority thought crept into my mind. My fr...

“I am resigning from Bhutan Broadcasting Service. I am going to do Royal Institute of Management,” I told one of my colleagues from Mongar. “Why? You know Kengkharpa will never wear patang, ceremonial sword,” he said convinced about the myth he heard. I thought of many defenses I could think of. I thought of telling that joining civil service has nothing to do it wearing or not wearing patang. I wanted to tell him that that was myth just like Chamkhar wouldn’t grow paddy. I wanted to tell him that till now no able person was born. I wanted to tell him I am no more from Kengkhar but Jumey, the bifurcated gewog. But then, I gave up since such defense was futile and waste of time. However, it got me thinking. I have scanned hosts of list of civil servants but nobody was honoured with Patang. One guy who was head clerk was said to have promoted to Rabjam. He wore Patang for one day because he was stripped of sword because of some complaints. May be, myth is right. May be Kengkhar ...

Chali is one of the seventeen gewogs of monggar district in eastern Bhutan.   Located on other side of Mongar (in the east), Chali is a sources of many legendary stories. One such story is a queen because of whom many subjects underwent hardships. The ruler in question was debatable.   Karma Galay in his article Demise of Tongphu Gyalpo believed it was Tongphu Gyalpo, while Michael Aris wrote it was Relpa Tobchen, King of Zhongar born out of fish while others believed it was cruel Dzongpon Namedla. Whoever might be the ruler, ruler loved his wife from Chali so much and he wanted to see her village from his room in the Dzong. So he ordered the mountain in between to be leveled. People suffered due to labour taxes. Even ministers were fed up. One day, a moringmo/ single mother sang lullaby to put her child to sleep. “Aow, Aow. Phuchen Dhelpa Wata, Michen Dhelpa Drag.” “Aow, Aow Instead of leveling the towering mountain, Better it is to bring down a towering pers...

Bhutan is historically known by many names. The earliest prehistoric name was Lhomon (literally, southern land of darkness) or Monyul (dark land, a reference to the  Monpa  aboriginal peoples of Bhutan), possibly a part of Tibet that was then beyond the pale of Buddhist teachings. Monyul was thought to have existed between 500 B.C. and A.D. 600. Later it also came to be known as Lhomon Tsendenjong  (southern Mon sandalwood country) and  Lhomon Khashi  (southern Mon country of four approaches), found in ancient Bhutanese and Tibetan chronicles,which may also have credence and have been used by some Bhutanese scholars when referring to their homeland. Each name has its origin. Monyul was given because Bhutan was considered land of darkness. Bhutan was land of darkness as people used to practice Bon. The Buddhist considered Bon as religion of uncivilized where animals were killed and nature was worshipped. Bhutan was called Tshendhen Jong because ...