Their Majesties offered prayers at the monastery and were offered the most sacred ash relic of the tenth century Buddhist teacher, Atisha Dipankara Srijnana. His Majesty also laid the foundation stone for the Atisha statue and pagoda to be built at the Monastery.
His Majesty the King was warmly received by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, at her residence in Gonobhaban in the evening. The Prime Minister hosted a dinner in honour of Their Majesties.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina visited Bhutan in November 2009, soon after being elected prime minister earlier that year and once again during the 16th SAARC summit in 2010. His Majesty the King was invited as the guest of honour for the 40th independence day celebration of Bangladesh in March 2011. The visits reflect the warm and affectionate nature of the relations between His Majesty the King and the leadership in Bangladesh.

Courtesy: Kuensel

The Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin, said the invitation letter from the Indian president was personally handed over to His Majesty by the external foreign minister, Salman Khurshid, during his recent visit to Bhutan on January 14-15. The Republic Day of India commemorates the day on which the Constitution of India came into force, replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India on January 26, 1950.

In New Delhi, Republic Day is celebrated with a grand parade that starts from the Raisina Hill in the neighbourhood of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhawan, passes along Rajpath and ends at India Gate. Martyrs and heroes are remembered and conferred prestigious and significant awards, including Kirti Chakra and Ashok Chakra by the President on Republic Day. On January 25 His Majesty, who is accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen, will be presented a ceremonial welcome that includes a salute by the colourful cavalry brigade, a guard of honour by the Indian army, navy, and air force, and a 21-gun salute at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Later in the evening President Mukherjee is scheduled to host a banquet in honour of His Majesty. During the visit from January 23-30, His Majesty is scheduled to meet the President, the Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and other senior officials of the government of India. The state visit will greatly deepen the friendship between the governments and the peoples of Bhutan and India, a news release from the Bhutanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

His Majesty will be accompanied by the minister-in-charge for foreign affairs, Khandu Wangchuk, the finance minister Wangdi Norbu, the royal privy council chairman, C Dorji, and other senior officials of the Bhutanese government. This will be His Majesty’s third state visit to India after his coronation in November 2008.

Courtesy: Kuensel

During the launch, the Chief Executive Officer of the BMC private limited, Tshering Wangchuk, said the book depicts a living fairy tale in modern times.

Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen also distributed copies of the books to the sponsors. The book, published by BMC Private Limited, has 41 paintings with accompanying text describing the wedding ceremonies and celebrations.

A copy of the book costs Nu. 1,200.

Courtesy: BBS