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Attending the Royal Audience of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in Perth, Australia


Introduction

In October 2024, Bhutanese citizens residing in Australia had the profound honor of welcoming His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to Perth. This visit, part of a larger tour across Australian cities including Sydney and Canberra, was not only a significant event for the Bhutanese diaspora but also a deeply emotional experience for the thousands of Bhutanese who have made Australia their home. Many of Bhutanese have lived abroad for years, often unable to return home due to distance, economic demands, or personal reasons. His Majesty's royal visit, therefore, represented much more than a formal event—it was a reaffirmation of the enduring bond between the King and his people, no matter how far from Bhutan they may be

Brief Anecdote of Bhutanese of migrating to Australia

Although the migration of 30,000 individuals may seem insignificant for countries with populations in the millions, for Bhutan, which has a population of just over 0.7 million (Economic Census of Bhutan, 2019), it has become a subject of significant debate. While identifying a clear root cause for this exodus is complex, a common understanding derived from various accounts (Monica, 2023) suggests that the lack of attractive employment opportunities and low entry-level wages are key factors motivating many young Bhutanese to pursue education and work abroad in search of greater economic security. Migration remained relatively controlled until 2022, but saw a sharp (Yidzin,2022) increase following the global pandemic, when Australia reopened its borders to immigrants.

Symbolic significance of Royal Audience in Bhutan

It has been aged old tradition of Bhutan where Royal Audience are most awaited movement for Bhutanese (Karma, 2015). It is a day where king transfer the sacred duty of nation building to its citizen and in turn, its own subject dutifully moves ahead with nation building activities in their capacity. For example, a mother shouldering sacred vision of king to upbring her child and inculcate two human value that are widely practiced in Bhutan, Ley Judrey and Tha damtsi. ley judrey - the karmic law of cause and effect, and tha damtsi - integrity and social commitment (Wangchuk, 2022)

 

Event Description and Evaluation

I was highly anticipated to attend Royal Audience as scheduled on 16th &17th October, 2024 at HBF park, Western Australia. Since Australia is busy and fast-moving country, the royal visit was announced more a than month before which gave me enough time to prepare for days to come. As soon as the visit was confirmed, I wrote a mail to my manager at work requesting for leave for a day. Since majority of the staff at my workplace is from Bhutan, my manager might have faced challenges in finding replacements for our absence on that day. Some of my friends were even denied leave due to a staff shortage. This situation is a direct reflection of the ongoing exodus of Bhutanese to Australia (as discussed in the previous paragraph), and it also serves as a timely reminder for me, as a student studying community events and regenerative festival, to ensure ample preparation time when organizing future events.

The Bhutanese diaspora in Australia (including myself) had eagerly waited for this moment, especially after His Majesty have expressed a personal desire to meet Bhutanese citizens abroad during his National Day speech during last 17th December 2023.  For me, the King’s visit was more than a ceremonial gesture, it was a day to remind the bond between king and its citizen.

Event Type

Planned events are live social events created to achieve specific outcomes such as related to business, the economy, culture, society and the environment (Getz et al., 2014) and in his later part of the study classify events into i) Form and ii) Function . If I were to classify the visit of King Jigme to Australia using the event typology (Getz et al., 2020), it largely falls under the Politics and state where it constitutes of events such as summit, VIP visit, Royal Spectacles. But when it comes to the function of event, visit of king Jigme to Perth (so is the case with other state of Australia) transcends beyond royal spectacles to his beloved people. King Jigme, brought his vision of future Bhutan to Australia specifically designed for diaspora of people living outside of homeland. Future of Bhutan I mean is about King Jigme’s vision of upcoming Gelephu Mindfulness City ( GMC), a project where Bhutan can hope and world can look up to it. We were consulted for ideas and later will be incorporated while designing city.

Reflecting the events through regeneration lens
Regenerative lens also known as enablers (Buckton, 2023) are framework enhancing regenerative social-ecological systems. There are five identified enablers, i) ecological worldview, ii) mutualism, iii) diversity, iv) agency for all entities, and v) continuous reflexivity.

King Jigme’s visit to Australia represents a significant moment for the Bhutanese community, highlighting the importance of mutual support and connection among Bhutanese people living abroad. This visit fosters a sense of belonging and cultural pride within the diaspora, reinforcing the ties that bind them to their homeland. As in the study of (Buckton, 2023) regenerative lens, the visit can be viewed as an opportunity to cultivate mutualism and collaboration, a collaboration between kind and his subject. Thereby, encouraging Bhutanese community in Australia to engage with their homeland while physically living in Australia. This interaction not only strengthens cultural identity but also opens pathways for collaboration on shared goals, such as sustainability and community well-being.

While the event was exclusively for Bhutanese living in Australia, King Jigme have allowed special entrance for foreign spouse married to Bhutanese to attend the event and it reminded me of considering diversity (diversity of culture to be specific) while organizing similar events in future. And more than anything, the event was most promising events for Bhutanses (specially young kids who were born and raised in Australia) as it was homely and offered an opportunity to remind what is it to be Bhutanses in this 21st century. Bhutanses are by birth (Wangchuk, 2022) altruistic and connected to the country and Monarch. The unfolded opportunity to connect ourselves to monarch and young children were able to see the bond between King and its citizens.

In short, Royal visit was more than a mere political event; it was an act of renewal for the Bhutanese diaspora where it offered various cultural and emotional. The audience with His Majesty helped reinforce Bhutanese cultural identity, offering a moment of collective reflection on what it means to be Bhutanese while living abroad. His Majesty’s visit restored a sense of pride and belonging among the diaspora, reminding us of our duty to uphold Bhutan’s values and contribute to the country’s development, even from afar. This moment of regeneration renewed the community’s connection to Bhutan, not only as a distant homeland but as a living, breathing part of their identity.

 

Programs during the event

During the events, many traditional cultural dances were performed. As the date of the visit approached, the Bhutanese community in Perth was filled with excitement. Association of Bhutanese living Perth (ABPI) has opened the invitation to perform cultural dance during event and due to large number people showing interest to perform cultural dance during events, ABPI has to conduct separate selection despite busy work life Australia.  However, because of community leaders who worked tirelessly, the Royal visit was memorable and successful.

Moreover, in  the interest of public, there were diverse food stalls inside the HBF park and it kept people away from feeling hungry. I was able to connect with classroom lessons where my tutor for TOU503 has repeatedly reminding us about Food as essential part of the event.

 Evaluation of impact of event  using 3Hs of event experience transformation.

The cognitive (Head), conative (Hand), and affective (Heart) dimensions of event experience  transformation  (Getz et al, 2020) provides comprehensive evaluation framework as it allow us understand impact of event at personal level. For example, experience of event such as before vs. after. This section of the essay will look into personal transformation after experiencing the event with special reference to my beliefs before experiencing the event in terms of 3Hs.

 

Cognitive (head) Dimension: Before the royal audience, my understanding of the importance of cultural identity and connection to the monarchy was largely theoretical. I had heard about the significance of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and the centrality of environmental sustainability in Bhutanese policy. However, attending the royal audience brought these concepts to life in a profound way. The King’s speech was not merely informative but deeply personal, as he spoke to the Bhutanese diaspora (including myself) as a fatherly figure, reminding us of our responsibilities to one another (specially to help each in a place far away from homeland) and to our country (To build Bhutan stronger). His message about maintaining Bhutanese values while adapting to the modern world resonated with me, challenging me to think critically about how I contribute to my community and the environment in my daily life as an international student.

 

During the event, I was struck by His Majesty’s deep empathy and understanding of the challenges facing Bhutanese citizens living abroad. He acknowledged the sacrifices many had made by leaving their homeland in search of better opportunities, but he also reminded us of our duty to preserve Bhutanese culture and values, no matter where we are in the world. This cognitive shift deepened my appreciation for Bhutan’s unique approach to development, one that places the well-being of its citizens and the unbreakable bond between 44 years old king and his people. It also prompted me to reflect on my own role in upholding these values while living in Australia.


 Affective (Heart) Dimension: Emotionally, the royal visit was overwhelming. The atmosphere in Perth was charged with a sense of anticipation and pride, as Bhutanese families dressed in their traditional attire—Gho for men and Kira for women—gathered to welcome their King. As I stood among my fellow Bhutanese, I felt a deep sense of unity and connection to my heritage. The King’s words, spoken with such sincerity and compassion, stirred emotions of gratitude and pride in me. His Majesty’s visit reminded us about the deep affection and care he has for his people, regardless of where they live.

 Before the event, I had been excited but unsure of what to expect. I knew that attending the royal audience would be a momentous occasion, but I did not anticipate the emotional depth of the experience. As I listened to His Majesty’s speech, I felt a profound sense of belonging, as if the physical distance between Bhutan and Australia had dissolved. The emotional transformation I experienced was one of renewed pride in my identity as a Bhutanese citizen, and a deepened sense of connection to my King and my homeland.


 Conative (Hand) Dimension

The royal visit also had a significant impact on my behavior. During the event, I observed how the Bhutanese community came together to prepare for the King’s arrival. There was a collective sense of responsibility and mindfulness, as everyone worked to ensure that the event was a success. This sense of community and shared purpose inspired me to think more critically about my own actions and how I can contribute to the well-being of my community.

After the event, I felt a renewed sense of responsibility toward my community and my environment. His Majesty’s message about New City project (GMC) and cultural preservation resonated deeply with me, and I felt compelled to take more concrete steps to live in accordance with these values. Since attending the royal audience, I have become more involved in community initiatives that promote Bhutanese culture and helping fellow Bhutanses find work by referring to the workplace.


Some challenges I faced during the event
Overall, the event was a grand success, but I encountered challenges due to sitting in an open-air stadium, exposed to the elements. On the event day, part of the time was sunny, while the other half became windy and rainy. Thankfully, the organizers had advised us in advance to bring raincoats, which helped mitigate the situation. Interestingly, raincoats became so popular that they ran out of stock in Perth due to the high demand from the Bhutanese community. This experience reminded me of the importance of considering weather-related factors when organizing similar outdoor events in the future.

Conclusion

 Royal visit of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to Perth in October 2024 was a profoundly emotional and culturally significant event for the Bhutanese diaspora in Australia, including myself. It was not merely a political spectacle, but a moment of reconnection and renewal for Bhutanese citizens far from home. Through His Majesty’s speech and presence, we were reminded of our cultural heritage, values, and responsibilities both to Bhutan and to one another. The event also provided an opportunity for deep personal reflection on themes such as identity, belonging, and mutualism, particularly within the framework of regenerative community events.

 

The royal audience, which transcended its political function, allowed for the reaffirmation of our ties to Bhutan, as well as the chance to envision a future of collaboration between Bhutanese citizens abroad and the country itself. On a personal level, it left a lasting impact on me, transforming my perspective on community engagement and my role as a Bhutanese citizen living in Australia. The event served as a powerful reminder of the enduring connection between the King and his people, no matter the distance, and reinforced the importance of upholding Bhutanese values in every aspect of life.

 








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