Bhutan Royal wedding in October will have celebrations

The royal wedding in October will have befitting celebrations for the occasion, although not extravagant or overly grand, according to works and human settlement minister, Yeshey Zimba.

This, the minister announced yesterday, during the meet-the-press meeting in Thimphu. His Majesty the King on May 23, at the opening session of the parliament, announced that he would wed Jetsun Pema, and emphasised that the wedding would happen in a simple traditional ceremony.

“This is a very historic occasion and all the people in the country would like to join the celebrations,” said Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba. “His Majesty wants it simple, but the people will be disappointed, as they have awaited it for so long. It must be something that the people of Bhutan would be happy with.”

The minister, wearing an excited look as he shared the plans, said that everyone, from the people in the villages to the prime minister, would have their own roles. “From the prime minister downward, everyone would be assuming a full responsibility for the arrangements,” he said.

The prime minister is personally coordinating the celebrations. The cabinet had already met once for planning and distributing the roles. The prime minister is meeting the secretaries of the ministries today to give directions as to how things have to be done, said Lyonpo.

The home ministry and the zhung dratshang, as expected, were handed the responsibility of arranging the traditional and cultural arrangements.

The home and culture affairs minister, Minjur Dorji, said the celebration was always on his mind. “It’s a very important aspect of our culture,” he said. “We should maintain the tradition and culture. So the events are also being planned, keeping in mind, how best the people could participate in the celebrations.”

The centenary and coronation celebrations, two significant events in the past three years, economic affairs minister, Khandu Wangchuk said, were grand, as people from all walks of life joined and rejoiced the occasions, but it was not expensive.

“There is no celebration in the country without the schools and children involved,” education minister Thakur Singh Powdyel said. He said that the schools would be celebrating in a befitting way.

Source: Kuenselonline