The three-day DrukYul’s Literature and Arts Festival ended last evening. At the concluding ceremony, Her Majesty Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck awarded the Bhutan Echoes Legacy Awards to two Bhutanese artists. The Bhutan Echoes Legacy Awards celebrate and honour pioneers in arts and literature who have contributed significantly to Bhutanese culture and heritage. The award is for demonstrating immense dedication, creativity and innovation in their respective fields.
Closing the three-day celebrations of literature and arts, Her Majesty Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck addressed the audience and thanked everyone involved for making the festival a success.
“Bhutan Echoes 2024 has concluded and how Bhutan has echoed with this edition. My heart is full. I am so happy, content, and moved that this edition of Bhutan Echoes has been phenomenal and amazing. We have taken it to a higher level this year and next year, we expect to keep reaching higher, to be better. For all is you who have experienced these three days, all of you who have participated, and all of you who have worked so hard to make Bhutan Echoes 2024 such an astounding amazing success, from the bottom of this old heart. I thank you. Let us keep literature in our hearts, and arts in our souls. And friendship. You all are friends, my friends, you are all part of my family. Thank you so very much! Tashi Delek.”
Her Majesty presented the Bhutan Echoes Legacy Awards to two legendary Bhutanese artists.
One of the award recipients is author Kunzang Choden. She is the first Bhutanese woman to write a novel in English. Author Kunzang’s work is hugely recognised within the country and across Asia. She also founded a publishing house, Riyang Books in 2012 along with her family.
Kunzang Choden said “It is definitely a great honour and a privilege and coming from Her Majesty, I feel it is a great blessing and an inspiration that I am recognised. I just feel humbled and inspired by this honour and I feel that I have to take some responsibility and say that I will go on being inspired by the graciousness, kindness of Her Majesty and all the people who have read my books and tell me positive things. So it is really a great moment for me to even at this age to feel that I may have a future and I will continue to do my best to put words on paper even when I’m at this age I feel even as I get older until my joints are locked in immobility and my brain has stopped functioning, I will continue to write.”
Kama Wangdi popularly known as Asha Kama is another recipient of the legendary awards. Believed to the torchbearer of contemporary art in Bhutan, Asha Kama has fully immersed himself in changing the landscape of contemporary art and taking art to the next heights. His art pieces have also found a place on international platforms.
He said that the award was unexpected since he had been receiving awards in the form of blessings from Her Majesty all the time
“She inspires us, her actions really drive all of us to become a better person. So that is a bigger award. But this award, the Legacy Award, I wanted to really share with my fellow artists because it is not only mine. Without them, we will not be able to start the moment. One person cannot really start a moment.”
The closing ceremony also recognised winners of the art competition “Bhutan In Mind: A Visionary Art Competition”. The visionary art competition was held for two categories: Middle Secondary school and high school category. Three winners were recognised in each category.
This year’s Bhutan Echoes: Drukyul’s Literature and Arts Festival brought people from 14 different countries for their common love for literature and art.
Devika Pradhan
Edited by Phub Gyem
