The sixth session of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival, presented by Reliance, was formally inaugurated at India House in Thimphu, Bhutan on August 19. The festival is all the more special this year as it coincides with and is part of the celebrations of the 60th birth anniversary of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan. Mountain Echoes is an India-Bhutan Foundation initiative, powered by the Government of Rajasthan.
The function began with a Zhhapteyn prayer for His Majesty, performed by students of Sersang School. The hall resonated with music as the audience joined in.
Festival organiser Mita Kapur said, “We celebrate His Majesty’s contributions as an incomparable leader who has enriched not just the lives of his people but has been a statesman that the world looks up to.” She invited Her Majesty the Royal Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, His Excellency Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, His Excellency Ambassador of India Gautam Bambawale and Festival Directors Namita Gokhale and Pramod Kumar to light the lamp.
Ambassador Gautam Bambawale mentioned that 2015 has been designated as National Reading Year in Bhutan and said that while Mountain Echoes would benefit from the resurgence in the habit, the festival could also be proud of its contribution in spreading the love for reading. He also thanked Her Majesty the Royal Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck for her dedication.
His Excellency Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay welcomed the speakers and guests and thanked them for sharing their time, friendship and talents with the people of Bhutan. He submitted his reverence and gratitude to the vision of Her Majesty the Royal Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, whom he described as “not only a queen of destiny but also an exceptional artist among artists”. Narrating several anecdotes, he illustrated Her Majesty’s compassion, bond with her people and her extraordinary personality.
Speaking of Mountain Echoes, he said that it provided an intellectual and artistic balance in a society which is moving from an oral culture to a visual culture, where fireside stories are increasingly being replaced by television. While mentioning the celebrations planned for the 60th birth anniversary of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, he also reminded the audience that Her Majesty would also be celebrating a quiet 60th birthday this year.
Her Majesty the Royal Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck was pleased that this year’s festival is dedicated to a king who has given so much to this country. She thanked the familiar faces in the crowd, including former Indian Ambassador Dalip Mehta and his wife Nandini, writers Serena Chopra, Chetan Bhagat and Patrick French, for being here for this special edition of the festival.
She was pleased to note that the number of participants from Bhutan have increased this year. She thanked the festival directors for making Mountain Echoes a diverse, stimulating and enriching experience. She thanked all the speakers, sponsors and organisers for going the extra mile to make this year’s festival befitting the 60th birth anniversary celebrations of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck. She exhorted the children and youth of Bhutan to attend the festival and take advantage of the workshops on reading and writing. She thanked His Excellency Ambassador of India Gautam Bambawale and his wife for being such gracious hosts.
The students of Sersang School performed a traditional Wangzhey dance to an enthusiastic audience. It was followed by an unplugged performance of the song Aashayein by North East Breeze.
Festival Director Namita Gokhale expressed her delight at being back in Bhutan, a young yet ancient country, where she was always discovering new and old things. She paid tribute to His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Where the old and new clash, books and art provide a remedy for the malignant polarities that arise, she said. She also reaffirmed the festival’s dedication to discovering artists and writers in Dzongkha and other dialects from this part of the world. For this, she thanked Festival Directors Kunzang Choden and Siok Sian Dorji, who had worked tirelessly to find voices from Bhutan’s oral traditions and cultural practices to bring to the festival.
She ended with an invocation to Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, which is translated as: “Knowledge is the only thing that grows with sharing.”
Festival Director Kunzang Choden said that the sixth edition of Mountain Echoes was, for her, not just a single celebration of the festival but of the three gems of Bhutan. The first gen was the 60th birth anniversary celebrations of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck. She praised him for sparing no effort in promotion literacy and education in Bhutan. Thanks to him, she said, the people of Bhutan now not only participate in but also host wonderful literature festivals.
The second gem was the declaration of the National Reading Year. She quotes Amita Bambawale, the wife of the Indian Ambassador, who had said: “We first learn to read and then read to learn. This is an ongoing process.” Citing this, she emphasised that the renewed interest in reading should not end with 2015 but has to go on.
The third gem was the celebration of the solidarity of readers, writers, musicians, artists, performers and dancers across the world through the festival. She hoped that the festival would spark conversations, debates and critiques in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
The evening ended with Mita Kapur thanking the sponsors, organisers, festival advisors and festival directors for making the sixth edition of Mountain Echoes possible.