Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Singh, attended the World Peace Prayer Festival in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. The 16-day festival, which began on 4th November 2025, is a global initiative dedicated to prayers for world peace and healing of humanity amid ongoing global conflicts.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Virendra Singh highlighted the deep spiritual connection and enduring friendship between India and Bhutan, describing the festival as a reflection of the shared cultural and spiritual heritage that has bound the two nations for centuries.

LThe Global Peace Prayer Festival (GPPF) was ceremonially inaugurated at Changlimithang Ground, Thimphu, by His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Trulku Jigme Choedra, the Chief Abbot of Bhutan. The Royal Government of Bhutan is organizing the festival as part of a broader effort to promote global peace, compassion, and spiritual harmony.

One of the key events of the festival is Jabzhi, a profound Vajrayana Buddhist ritual believed to cleanse negative karma and dispel destructive forces. The ritual, which began earlier this week, will continue until 10th November. Following this, the Kalachakra Empowerment, symbolizing peace and the spiritual paradise of Shambhala, will be conducted.

In a historic and deeply spiritual gesture, the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, enshrined at the National Museum in New Delhi, arrived in Thimphu on 8th November 2025 as a “goodwill gift” from India to Bhutan during the GPPF. The relics will remain enshrined at the Grand Kuenrey of Tashichhodzong until 18th November, after which they will be ceremonially returned to India.

The enshrinement of the relics commemorates the 70th birth anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, whose visionary leadership introduced democracy in Bhutan and strengthened its identity as the world’s last Vajrayana Buddhist kingdom. The event coincides with the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Bhutan on 11–12 November 2025.

Mr. Sandeep Arya, India’s Ambassador to Bhutan, remarked that “there is great reverence and appreciation in Bhutan for the arrival of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha during the Global Peace Prayer Festival.”

Bhutan’s Prime Minister Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay described the relics as a “gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the people of Bhutan,” symbolizing the spiritual collaboration between the two countries, beyond their strong political and developmental partnership. He also expressed gratitude to the Government of India for its support of the festival and reaffirmed Bhutan’s commitment to peace and spiritual unity.

The Jabzhi ritual serves as a powerful counterweight, an obstacle remover ensuring that the blessed energies of the global peace prayer radiate unhindered across the world. Conceived by His Majesty the King of Bhutan, the Global Peace Prayer Festival stands as a universal call for peace on earth, celebrating Bhutan’s unique spiritual heritage and reaffirming the shared Buddhist values that have long guided India–Bhutan relations.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

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