What Does The Flag Of Bhutan Look Like?

Bhutan’s national flag, one of the nation’s emblems, features the Druk, the Thunder Dragon of Bhutanese and Tibetan mythology. Designing the Bhutanese flag in 1947 was Mayum Choying Wangmo Dorji.

A representation of the Bhutanese flag was flown in 1949 during the signing of the Indo-Bhutan Treaty. Another version was presented in 1956 to coincide with Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuk’s visit to the country’s eastern area.

Based on images of the previous banner, the second iteration of the flag substituted a white Druk for the original green one.




Eventually, the Bhutanese flag was altered to match the Indian flag’s dimensions precisely because the Bhutanese people thought it was superior to their country’s flag.

The flag underwent several changes, with the background color changing from orange to red, which produced the present design that has been used since 1969.

To establish protocol about the requirements for flying the flag and authorized flag sizes, Bhutan’s National Assembly tallied and codified the flag’s design in 1972.

Historical Perspective

Various names throughout history have known the country of Bhutan. However, in honor of the Bhutanese thunder dragon, the residents refer to their nation as Druk.

The custom had its roots in 1189 when Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje reported seeing a rainbow and shining light in the Namgyiphu valley when he was in Shankar.

A common myth in Bhutan is that Dorje entered the valley to choose the location for the monastery. This is where Dorje reported hearing the dragon’s sound, described as three peals of thunder.

The monastery was built in the same year and given the name Druk Sewa Jangchubling after Tsangpa Gyare’s teaching institute.




Druk School eventually split into three distinct lineages. One of the three lines, known as Drukpa, was founded by Gyare’s nephew and spiritual heir, Ondrey Dharma Sengye; his lineage would subsequently extend over the entire nation.

Another explanation for how the dragon wound up on the Bhutanese flag is because it first appeared on the flag of China, a nearby nation. Early in the 20th century, Bhutan’s monarchs decided it was appropriate to use it as a royal emblem.

Design Of Bhutan’s National Flag

The present national flag is split diagonally from the lowest hoist-side corner. The triangle’s bottom side is red, while its upper side is yellow. A massive black and white dragon is on the dividing line in the middle, facing the other side of the hoist.




All four of the dragon’s claws are holding a gem or Norbu. The flag’s orange and yellow backgrounds are designated Pantone 165 and 116, respectively. Different codes are used to distinguish between different tints of white on the Druk.

Bhutan’s national flag’s insignia

The color yellow on the flag represents temporal power and regional tradition as expressed in Bhutan’s Dragon King, also known as Druk Gyalpo, as reiterated in the 2008 Constitution of Bhutan. The yellow kidney scarf is part of the king’s regal attire.




The color orange on the flag represents Buddhism, particularly the Nyingma and Drukpa Kagyu schools. The Druk represents the extension of equality across the horizontal axis connecting the orange and screaming parts of the flag.

The Druk is positioned in the center of the border between orange and yellow to represent the significance of civic and monastic traditions in the nation.

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