Uzha Jarog Dongchen is the protective deity of the first Zhabdrung who introduced the lineage of ‘Dharma Rajas’, a lineage of reincarnating lamas. Joarog is a form of Mahakala and has a raven head and he finds a place on the head of the Bhutanese monarchy as the Royal Raven Crown of Bhutan. Raven is also the national bird of the Kingdom of Bhutan. The head of the raven on the royal Bhutanese crown is placed on a ‘Jachung’ motif, which is embroidered on the brim of the crown. Raven’s head on the crown has Norbu, sun and moon on it. The Norbu is a sacred gem and symbolizes that all the efforts made for rightful purposes and in the right direction are fulfilled and rewarded while the sun and moon symbolize permanence, dependability and enlightenment of the monarch wearing it.
Bhutan’s hereditary monarchy is fairly recent and the Wangchuk dynasty was established in 1907. The first king of the new dynasty, Ugyen Wangchuk came to power after overcoming much turbulence and subduing feuding in the area. He adopted the crown with raven’s head on tip as the unique symbol of his authority and the crown came to be known as the Raven Crown. It was based on the battle helmet that his father, Jigme Namgyel, used to wear for wars against the rivals of the country, including the British in 1885. Known as the Black Regent, Jigme Namgyel had emerged victorious and could not be subdued by the mighty British. The Raven’s head denoting the guardian deity of Bhutan was believed to have helped him through all these wars and thus, his son and the first King of Bhutan adorned his crown with the Raven too.
