Bhutan
has its own Zorig Day, which is similar to Viswakarma Puja and is celebrated
every year on the 15th of third lunar month. This year it falls on the 7th
May 2020 and is the 19th National Zorig day.
Bhutan
is a unique country and rich in arts and crafts from time immemorial. The famous
13 Arts & Crafts, in short, Zorig Chusum (Art of Calligraphy-Yigzo, Art of
Painting-Lhazo, Art of Sculpting- Jimzo, Art of Metal Casting- Lugzo, Arts of
Gold & Silver Crafts-Troezo, Art of Woodcrafts- Shing zo, Art of
Embroidery- Tshemzo, Art of Paper Making-Shogzo, Art of Masonry- Dozo, Art of
Carving- Parzo, Art of Textiles- Thagzo, Arts of Cane & Bamboo Weaving-
Tsharzo and Art of Blacksmithy- Garzo) are deeply
rooted in Buddhism. Each work of art contains the same principles and
symbolisms as well as ideologies, which make this practice so ancestral.
With
the existence of our traditional arts and crafts along with experiencing latest
modern technologies on continuous basis in the kingdom, the
need of Zorig Deity
and Zorig Day
was felt that will help boost and raised the moral of all blue collar workers,
the technical workforce that drives the economic of the country. Having such great
occasion yearly also creates a platform to allow individual to pay reverence
and appreciation to the tools and implements, machines and vehicles through
which maximum comforts are rendered to the humanity.
It
was under the initiative of the Ex. Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay, the then
Head, National Technical Training Authority, to have separate Zorig Day, a very
unique to Bhutan. His proposal was
submitted and approved by the then Health and Education Minster, Lyonpo Sangay
Ngedup. They have than approached His Holiness the 70th Je Khenpo
with a request to identify a Zorig deity and declare an auspicious day to
observe the Zorig day.
His
Holiness the Je Khenpo identified Pel Dueki Khorlo as the Zorig Deity and the
15th day of third lunar month as Zorig day.
His Holiness also
composed a special Zorig prayer to be recited by all technical people.
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| (Click to enlarge the prayer) |
If
you visit Bumthang Jamphel Lhakhang you will able to see the statue of Pel Dueki
Khorlo or Kalachara deity that was embraced by His Holiness the Je Khenpo.
The
first Zorig day was observed in the year 2002. I as a teacher at Royal
Technical Institute, Rinchending during that year had an opportunity to
participate in the first ever Zorig Day celebration.
Thereafter,
the Zorig day was observed every year. Since the Zorig day was newly introduced
in the kingdom it is not widely known to all Bhutanese and the celebration was
mostly limited at the technical and vocational institutions.
Today
the celebration had gained momentum and many Bhutanese especially those who own
vehicles do participate in the Zorig Day celebration.
I
on behalf of all technical personals would like to express my deep sense of gratitude
to H.E. Dungtse Garab Rinpoche for organizing Zorig Day in a special way and
also blessing all vehicles through his Dharma Centers year after year. I am one of such beneficiaries.
I
strongly urge all my friends to observed the Zorig Day by reciting the prayer composed by His Holiness.
HAPPY NATIONAL ZORIG DAY 2020
