The festival also carried diplomatic significance, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi joining the congregation.
Thimphu: Amid the towering Himalayas and cascades of fluttering prayer flags, Bhutan turned into a radiant sanctuary of devotion as thousands gathered for the Global Peace Prayer Festival, one of the most spiritually defining moments for the Buddhist world.
Central to this year’s festival was the Kalachakra empowerment ceremony, a powerful and ancient Buddhist ritual invoking universal harmony and inner balance.
Chorten Dorji, Secretary of the Central Monastic Body, highlighted the profound depth of this moment: “The Kalachakra empowerment ceremony inaugurated by the Honourable Prime Minister of India alongside His Majesty the King holds deep spiritual significance. The rituals and traditions of Kalachakra harmonise both physical and subtle elements within us, fostering universal peace and harmony. During the Global Peace Prayer Festival, this empowerment made the profound practices of Kalachakra accessible to international practitioners, strengthening our collective aspirations for global peace.”
The festival’s spiritual magnitude was further elevated by a historic milestone, the ordination of nearly 270 nuns at Tshalumaphey in a landmark Gelongma ceremony.
This long-awaited revival restored the highest monastic vows for women, an ancient practice absent for centuries across much of the Buddhist world.
Adding to the sanctity of the moment was the ceremonial display of rare and revered Buddha relics, which drew pilgrims from Bhutan, India, Nepal, Southeast Asia and beyond.
Karma from Bhutan’s Department of Culture emphasised the significance of this moment for the nation: “It is a very auspicious and historic event for us in Bhutan. This is the first time that the sacred Buddha relics have been brought to our country. We received them with a grand procession, equivalent to welcoming a head of state. Since opening the relics for public viewing, there has been a continuous stream of people coming to offer prayers. This has been made possible thanks to the warm and friendly relations between our two countries and the collaboration between the International Buddhist Confederation and the National Museum of India, the custodians of the relics.”
The festival also carried diplomatic significance, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who joined the congregation, further strengthening the deep cultural and spiritual ties shared between India and Bhutan and amplifying the festival’s global message of peace and unity.
In its entirety, the Global Peace Prayer Festival became more than an event. It marked a spiritual renaissance.
