National Anthem Comparison
Bhutan vs Nepal
Comparison Analysis
Bhutan and Nepal, both Asia nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Bhutan's "The Thunder Dragon Kingdom" was written in 1953, while Nepal's "Hundreds of Flowers" dates to 2007.
The two anthems take different thematic approaches. Bhutan's focuses on Monarchy, God / Faith and Prosperity, while Nepal's centers on Nature, Diversity, Unity, Independence and Ancestors / Heritage.
The emotional tones differ: Bhutan's anthem is Prayerful, while Nepal's is Proud.
Bhutan's anthem predates Nepal's by 54 years, having been written in 1953 compared to 2007.
Nepal changed its national anthem in 2007, reflecting a shift in the nation's identity or political landscape.
Shared themes
Bhutan
Nepal
Metadata
| Bhutan | Nepal | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1953 | 2007 |
| Adopted | 1966 | 2007 |
| Lyricist | Gyaldun Dasho Thinley Dorji | Pradip Kumar Rai (Byakul Maila) |
| Composer | Aku Tongmi | Amber Gurung |
| Language | dz | ne |
| Region | South Asia | South Asia |
Lyrics Side by Side
Bhutan
༆བྲུག་ཞི་རྒྱལ་ཁབ
Original
Translation
Nepal
सयौं थुँगा फूलका हामी
Original
Translation
Interesting facts
Bhutan
- 1. The anthem was composed by Aku Tongmi in 1953 and is written in Dzongkha, Bhutan's national language, which uses a Tibetan-derived script.
- 2. Bhutan's anthem references the 'dual system' (chhoe-sid), the centuries-old governance model combining religious and secular authority unique to Bhutanese political philosophy.
- 3. Bhutan did not have television or internet access until 1999, meaning the anthem was primarily heard live or on radio for most of its existence.
Nepal
- 1. It was adopted on 3 August 2007 at the National Planning Commission inside Singha Durbar, weeks after the interim constitution stripped the king of power.
- 2. Replacing the royal anthem was a Maoist condition during the peace talks that ended Nepal's decade-long civil war.
- 3. The lyrics were chosen from more than a thousand public submissions; winner Byakul Maila wrote them as an explicitly republican, pluralist poem.
- 4. In August 2016 the BBC ranked it the third most striking Olympic anthem, praising its brevity and folk-song character.
Listen
Bhutan
Nepal
