Kiren Rijiju receives rare honour in Bhutan, witnesses 108 Stupas ceremony
Synopsis
Indian Union Minister Kiren Rijiju was personally received at Paro Airport by Bhutan's Prime Minister and then driven by him to Gelephu — a rare diplomatic gesture — to witness the consecration of 108 towering Stupas envisioned by the King of Bhutan. The ceremony, timed to the sacred Lhabab Duechen occasion, drew thousands of devotees and underscored the deep cultural and strategic bonds between India and Bhutan.
Key Takeaways
Kiren Rijiju was personally welcomed at Paro Airport by Bhutan's Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay on Saturday, 1 November 2026 .
Tobgay then drove Rijiju to Gelephu to attend the consecration of 108 Jangchub Chortens — described as a rare personal honour.
The 108 Stupas , each 15 metres tall , were consecrated along the Mao Chhu River in Gelephu Mindfulness City on Sunday .
The project was conceived by the King of Bhutan to coincide with Lhabab Duechen , the Buddha's Descending Day.
The event drew thousands of devotees, boosting local businesses in Tsirang district , according to the Bhutan Broadcasting Service .
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju received a rare diplomatic honour on Saturday, 1 November 2026, when Bhutan's Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay personally welcomed him at Paro Airport and then drove him to Gelephu to witness the grand consecration ceremony of 108 Jangchub Chortens (Stupas) along the Mao Chhu River. The gesture was widely seen as a mark of the close personal and bilateral ties between India and Bhutan.
The Ceremony and Its Significance
On Sunday, Bhutan consecrated 108 Stupas at Gelephu Mindfulness City, a project personally envisioned by the King of Bhutan to coincide with Lhabab Duechen, the sacred Buddhist occasion marking the Buddha's Descending Day. Each of the 108 Chortens stands 15 metres tall and is filled with prayers and relics, drawing upon Buddhism's sacred number 108. The initiative took eight months to execute, spanning site selection, groundbreaking ceremonies, and the preparation of sacred zung, according to the Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS).
Rijiju's Welcome and His Own Account
'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 social media platform X. In a separate post, he added: '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.'
Who Is Kiren Rijiju
Rijiju, born into a Buddhist family in Arunachal Pradesh, represents the Arunachal West constituency in the Lok Sabha. He currently serves as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Minority Affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet. His Buddhist heritage lends the visit additional cultural resonance beyond its diplomatic dimension.
India-Bhutan Ties and Local Impact
The 108 Stupas project is being seen as a symbol of India-Bhutan friendship, according to media reports. Thousands of devotees have travelled to Gelephu Mindfulness City for the event, providing a boost to hotels and roadside vendors in Tsirang district, BBS reported. Notably, the ceremony's scale — 108 Chortens raised in a single day — reflects the ambition of Gelephu Mindfulness City as a flagship initiative of the Bhutanese monarchy. The visit reinforces the pattern of high-level Indian engagement with Bhutan, which remains one of India's closest strategic and cultural partners in the region.
What Comes Next
Rijiju's visit is expected to further strengthen people-to-people ties between the two nations. The Gelephu Mindfulness City project is understood to be ongoing, and India's visible participation at this landmark consecration signals continued investment in the bilateral relationship at the highest levels.
Point of View
From a recalibrating Nepal to a wary Bangladesh, the optics from Gelephu carry weight. Rijiju's Buddhist roots in Arunachal Pradesh add a layer of cultural authenticity that pure diplomatic ceremony cannot replicate. What is worth watching is whether this visit dovetails with any substantive bilateral agenda — border delineation talks, the Gelephu Special Economic Zone's India linkages, or hydropower negotiations — or whether it remains a goodwill moment. The symbolism is strong; the substance will reveal itself in the weeks ahead.
NationPress
31 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Bhutan's Prime Minister personally drive Kiren Rijiju to Gelephu?
Bhutan's Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay drove Rijiju to Gelephu as a mark of personal honour and close bilateral ties between India and Bhutan. Rijiju himself described it as 'a huge honour' in posts on social media platform X.
What is the 108 Jangchub Chortens project in Gelephu?
The 108 Jangchub Chortens are a set of Buddhist Stupas, each 15 metres tall, consecrated along the Mao Chhu River in Gelephu Mindfulness City on Sunday. The project was conceived by the King of Bhutan to mark Lhabab Duechen, the sacred occasion of the Buddha's Descending Day.
Who is Kiren Rijiju and what is his role in government?
Kiren Rijiju is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Arunachal Pradesh who represents the Arunachal West constituency in the Lok Sabha. He serves as Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet.
What is the significance of Lhabab Duechen for the Bhutan ceremony?
Lhabab Duechen marks the day the Buddha is believed to have descended from the celestial realm — it is one of the most auspicious occasions in the Tibetan Buddhist calendar. The King of Bhutan specifically chose this day for the consecration of the 108 Chortens to imbue the project with religious significance.
How does this visit reflect India-Bhutan relations?
India and Bhutan share one of South Asia's closest bilateral relationships, anchored in cultural, strategic, and economic ties. Rijiju's high-profile reception and the visible Indian presence at the Gelephu ceremony reinforce that closeness, particularly as both countries discuss the development of Gelephu Mindfulness City, which has significant implications for regional connectivity.
