New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Union Minister Kiren Rijiju was bestowed a rare honour on his arrival in Bhutan on Saturday, with Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay warmly welcoming him along with other dignitaries, and then driving him to Gelephu to witness the grand ceremony of the raising and consecration of the 108 Jangchub Chortens.
On Sunday, Bhutan will consecrate 108 Stupas (Jangchub Chortens) along the Mao Chhu River in Gelephu Mindfulness City, a project envisioned by the King of Bhutan to coincide with Lhabab Duechen, the Buddha’s Descending Day.
“Honoured to be warmly received at Paro Airport by the Prime Minister of Bhutan, H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Foreign Minister Lyonpo D. N. Dhungyel, the Foreign Secretary, and the Ambassadors of Bhutan and India,” Rijiju wrote on the social media platform X.
In a separate post, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also mentioned the drive to the event. “It’s a huge honour, as Prime Minister of Bhutan, H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay drove the car upon reaching Gelephu to witness the grand ceremony of the raising of 108 Stupas (Jangchub Chortens), an initiative conceived by His Majesty the King of Bhutan,” he said.
Rijiju was born in a Buddhist family in Arunachal Pradesh, where he represents the Arunachal West constituency in the Lok Sabha. He is currently Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and the Minister of Minority Affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet.
Meanwhile, the Gelephu stupas, each 15 meters tall and filled with prayers and relics, symbolise Buddhism’s sacred number 108 while boosting local businesses and highlighting India-Bhutan friendship, according to media reports.
Over the past eight months, the vision to raise 108 Jangchub Chortens in a single day has moved through site selection, groundbreaking ceremonies, the preparation of sacred zung and the coming together of people from Bhutan and beyond, reported Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS).
Thousands of devotees are travelling to Gelephu Mindfulness City to attend Sunday’s event, bringing increased business to hotels and roadside vendors in Tsirang district, the BBS report added.
–IANS
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