July 29, 2025
THIMPHU – Serving three successive monarchs across six decades, the late Zimpon’s life was a living chronicle of Bhutan’s history. His personal story mirrored the nation’s extraordinary path: the boy from a farming family who walked barefoot from Paro to Thimphu would live to see an era of electric cars. He was more than a living bridge to the past; he was an institution, embodying the timeless values of selfless service and profound dedication. His life stands as a testament not only to a remarkable man but to the nation he served; a testament to Bhutan’s resilience and its steady path forward under its compassionate and visionary monarchs.
The late Zimpon Dorji Gyeltshen was born in 1942 into the noble house of Dhuezhi Chuem, one of six distinguished families from the Paro valley who had loyally supported Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. By the time of his birth, however, the family’s fortunes had reversed. Their situation worsened when his mother, after winning a court case, was forced to forfeit part of her land when he was just eleven. The final blow came when the state seized their manor and remaining property, leaving them destitute.
Forced to move into their Lhakhang (temple), he and his mother survived as day laborers, often struggling for two square meals a day. “I walked barefoot to Thimphu with my mother to receive the compensation,” Dorji Gyeltshen recalled. The estate’s value was assessed at 10,000 betas—an old Bhutanese currency—which fit into eight wooden boxes. “We received only half; the rest was deducted for expenses incurred by a courtier. Thus, we lost our entire estate.”
As he came of age, Bhutan was cautiously opening to the world. The 1958 visit of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru marked a new era, and with it began the colossal undertaking of road construction, which required labor from every household.
He began his adult life at 17 as a labourer constructing the first motor road that would open Bhutan. His path turned again in the early 1960s when border tensions between India and China prompted a nationwide army recruitment. He was one of three men from his village to join. “We were expected to feed and clothe ourselves,” he remembered. After initial training, he chose to remain in the army, earning a salary of thirty rupees a month.
In 1963, his dedication and discipline saw him selected to serve the eight-year-old Crown Prince HRH Dasho Jigme Singye Wangchuck. For the next six years, he was a bodyguard, hunter, cook, and dog caretaker to the future king.
In 1970, when the Crown Prince was injured in a car accident in Assam, he stayed by his bedside day and night, supporting the worried Third King, who never left his son’s side. This sincerity and loyalty which would become his hallmark, did not go unnoticed.
Becoming Zimpon
On 14 May 1972, his life transformed again. Summoned by the Third King, he received the command: “Tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. you are going to be awarded the title Trongsa Zimpon and given the red scarf.” Shocked, he appealed, “I am uneducated… and not suitable for this demanding job.” The King replied, “I trust you with my son. You must serve him with dedication.” The next day, he was made the Zimpon to HRH Crown Prince Jigme Singye Wangchuck. It was, in effect, a rehearsal for the ceremony a day later, when HRH was himself installed as the Trongsa Penlop, the formal heir to the throne.
Two months later, the Third King passed away. When His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck ascended the throne as the Fourth King, he was appointed Gyalpoi Zimpon. For the next 34 years, he served as the bridge between the King and his people. His office was the formal channel for any citizen to appeal to the monarch. “His Majesty spends most of his mornings with the people,” Dorji Gyeltshen would say, emphasizing the King’s belief that the nation’s success depended on understanding its citizens and providing them the environment to be content and happy.
He also became an unassuming guardian of Bhutan’s cultural identity. The Third King had personally tutored him in Driglam Namzha (the code of etiquette), imparting a lesson that would become his guiding principle: “Our culture and traditions will be our main identity, our most powerful weapon to defend the security and sovereignty of the nation.” Based on these foundational teachings, he authored a comprehensive 425-page book on the subject, ensuring this vital knowledge would be preserved for future generations.
In a remarkable turn of events, the narrative of his family’s loss found its resolution. In 1998, forty years after his land was taken, the Dhuezhi Chuem property was returned to him by royal command, completing a circle and achieving his single goal.
Dorji Gyeltshen’s dedication was absolute. For example, in 2003 as His Majesty the Great Fourth was about to leave Thimphu to lead the 2003 military operation in the south, he made the only personal request of his lifetime of service. He sought permission to join his King on the front lines, ready to offer his very life for the privilege. Stationed at the de facto army headquarters, in Dewathang, he took charge of the army mess, ensuring that every soldier was served hot meal at any time of the day or night and he saw to that the wounded received immediate care.
In 2021, His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck awarded the Druk Thuksey medal to Dorji Gyeltshen, honouring his lifetime of service to The Great Fourth. This recognition was the culmination of a life lived in devotion—a principle he upheld even as his health began to fail in his final year.
Rather than spend his time reminiscing, Dorji Gyeltshen’s focus remained characteristically forward-looking. He dedicated his remaining energy to three specific goals: restoring the Goen Obtso Dzong, the historic fortress that first welcomed Zhabdrung to Bhutan; building a new monastery in South Bhutan; and preparing meticulously for his own imminent passing. This stoic pragmatism was a trait he displayed time and again.
The fate of the Dzong in Gasa, now in ruins, weighed particularly heavily on him. For him, this site held profound national significance. It was built by Drubthob Terkhungpa, whose descendants were responsible for inviting the Zhabdrung to the kingdom in 1616, a foundational moment in Bhutan’s history. The desire to see this legacy honoured by restoring the fortress consumed him, intensifying into a dying wish as his health declined.
Moved by this display of commitment, His Majesty The King personally oversaw Dorji Gyeltshen’s medical care and promised to see his final wishes fulfilled. Yet, in a final act of service, he instructed his family not to use medical intervention to prolong his life, for he did not wish to be a burden on the state’s scarce resources. He had already prepared his own post-death rituals a year in advance, facing his end with the same selfless dedication that had defined his life.
In the days leading up to his passing, the Great Fourth visited Dorji Gyeltshen. Seated by his bedside, He spoke of their 61 years together; of the life they had built and the legacy they had forged. It was a life, the Great Fourth reminded him, that had been full of purpose, earning the admiration and respect of all. In response, a single tear and a quiet nod served as a silent testament to a lifetime of dedication.
Then, on 14 July, a visit from His Majesty The Fifth King bestowed a final, ultimate blessing. Three hours later, he passed away. Surrounded by his loved ones, a revered Lam, a devoted medical team, and his favourite singer, Zimpon Dorji Gyeltshen’s life of service came to a dignified and peaceful end.
