An exhibition ‘Bhutan: An eye to History’ opened in New Delhi

Bhutan Broadcasting Service, December 24, 2009

A photo exhibition entitled “Bhutan: An eye to History” opened at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi yesterday. The exhibition was inaugurated by His Majesty the King in the presence of the President of Indian Council of Cultural Relations, Dr. Karan Singh.

The exhibition documents the early photographic records of Bhutan and the close ties of friendship and co-operation between Bhutan and India since the historic treaty of 1949.

The exhibition also showcases, for the first time, the remarkable photographic work of His Majesty the King. His Majesty’s photographs include portraits of people, the landscape, flora and fauna and cityscapes, all showing the evolving Bhutanese society and topography. In his keynote address the President of Indian Council of Cultural Relations said that he was profoundly impressed with the photographs taken by His Majesty the King.

“I am profoundly impressed particularly with your (His Majesty’s) own photographs…two of them, one the photograph on the cover called Bhutanese warrior and the second the photograph at the back page… blue sheep walking up a mountain side with all the red plants. I think this is a world class photography” said Dr. Karan.

The second section displays some of the earliest photographs of Bhutan dating back to 1864. The images were that of the British Mission to Bhutan led by Ashley Eden.

The co-chair of the Indo Bhutan Foundation, India’s ambassador to Bhutan, Pavan K Varma, said the exhibition is unique as it showcases for the first time the beginnings of photography in Bhutan.

“This is also a window to photography in Bhutan including pictures which provide an insight not only to the immediate locale of that picture but to a society, to a country, to a people, to a culture, to an environment because the picture is a window to much more than merely the frame in which it has been captured,” said the ambassador.

The last section of the exhibition deals with the close ties of friendship between Bhutan and India. It includes among others, the friendship treaty signed between the two countries in 1949, the visit of His Majesty the third Druk Gyalpo and Her Majesty the Royal Grandmother to India.

The exhibition will go on till the end of January next year. It will also be taken to other major Indian cities and then to Bhutan.

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