Rijiju arrives in Thimphu to lead the return of Lord Buddha's relics from National Museum Delhi, displayed at Tashichhodzong till November 25 after extension due to public devotion.
Exposition honors Fourth King's 70th anniversary and Global Peace Festival; PM Modi and Bhutan King sought blessings, with Tobgay hailing it as a bond-strengthener.
Special IAF flight departs November 24 for Delhi transit, highlighting India-Bhutan shared heritage and cultural diplomacy via Ministry of Culture efforts.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju arrived in Bhutan on Monday to spearhead the "Delegation for the Return of Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha," overseeing the ceremonial repatriation of ancient holy relics that captivated devotees during an extended public exposition in the Himalayan kingdom. The relics, enshrined at New Delhi's National Museum and loaned as a profound gesture from India, were displayed at the Grand Kuenrey Hall in Tashichhodzong from November 8 to 25—prolonged by a week at the Royal Government's request to accommodate surging pilgrim crowds seeking blessings for peace and harmony. Rijiju, posting from en route on X, described the mission as a bridge of shared Buddhist heritage, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit where he joined Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in reverent homage amid monastic chants and floral tributes.
The exposition, timed to honor the Fourth King's 70th birth anniversary and the Global Peace Prayer Festival, symbolized the unbreakable spiritual and cultural tapestry weaving India and Bhutan, with Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay lauding it as a "milestone" in bilateral ties and extending gratitude to PM Modi for enabling the sacred journey. A special Indian Air Force aircraft, departing November 24, will ferry the relics back post-closing rituals, accompanied by senior monks, officials, and the delegation,ensuring their dignified transit to Delhi. This exchange, facilitated by India's Ministry of Culture and the International Buddhist Confederation, not only amplified Lord Buddha's timeless message of compassion but also reinforced geopolitical amity in South Asia's Buddhist corridor, where such relics, fragments of bone and ash from the 5th century BCE, serve as living emblems of enlightenment.
As Rijiju participates in the farewell ceremonies, the event underscores India's soft power diplomacy, fostering goodwill that transcends borders and politics. With thousands having queued in Thimphu's crisp autumn air, the relics' return marks not an end, but a reaffirmation of enduring fraternity, promising future collaborations in preserving this luminous legacy.
