New Delhi, Nov 17 At the request of the Royal Government of Bhutan, the sacred exposition of the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha from India, which has been underway in Thimpu, has been officially extended for one week, an official said on Monday.
The exposition, which has drawn thousands of devout pilgrims, will now continue until November 25, said the Ministry of Culture in a statement.
To facilitate the return of the Holy Relics, a special aircraft will depart for Bhutan on November 24. The sacred relics will be brought back to India on the following day.
The delegation for this significant closing ceremony will be led by Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju.
The extension of the exposition underscores the deep cultural and spiritual bonds between India and Bhutan and reflects the immense public reverence the exposition has received from the people of Bhutan, said the statement.
The overwhelming devotion of the people of Bhutan is a testament to our shared spiritual heritage. The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is honoured to accede to Bhutan's request, allowing more devotees to seek blessings, said the statement.
This event has further strengthened the timeless ties of friendship and mutual respect between our two nations.
The exposition has been a landmark event in India-Bhutan relations, celebrating a common Buddhist heritage and reinforcing the special bonds of trust and cooperation.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in seeking blessings from the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha amid a rousing welcome given by the local monks at Thimphu's Tashichhodzong.
The relics from India, currently enshrined at the Grand Kuenrey Hall in Tashichhodzong, have been sent for exposition as a special gesture from the people of India to Bhutan to honour the Fourth King’s 70th birth anniversary and the Global Peace Prayer Festival organised by the Royal Government of Bhutan.
"PM Narendra Modi joined His Majesty the King of Bhutan and sought blessings from the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha. Accompanied by chants by Monks, they prayed to the Holy Relics," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X.
Buddhism is a shared heritage between India and Bhutan. Several Bhutanese pilgrims travel to Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Sikkim, Udayagiri, Sarnath and other Buddhist sites in India.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan, the Je Khenpo presided over the ground-breaking ceremony to construct a Bhutanese temple in Rajgir. The temple was formally consecrated in September this year. The statue of Zhabdrung - a revered figure in Bhutan, regarded as the founder of the Bhutan nation - currently on exhibition at the Simtokha Dzong in Bhutan, has been loaned by the Asiatic Society, Kolkata.
--IANS
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