Gelephu: Rijiju represents India at Bhutan's 108-stupa ceremony

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju is representing India at a large Buddhist ceremony in Bhutan on Sunday, November 1, where 108 stupas are being raised and consecrated together at Gelephu Mindfulness City, the new special administrative region in southern Bhutan that lies just across the border from Assam.

Rijiju, the Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal West, holds the Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs portfolios in the Union Cabinet. He comes from a Buddhist family in Arunachal Pradesh.

A personal welcome

Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay received Rijiju at Paro airport on Saturday, along with Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel, senior officials and the envoys of both countries, Pratidin Time reported. Tobgay then drove the Indian minister to Gelephu himself, a gesture Rijiju later called a special honour in a post on social media, where he also described the ceremony as deeply important spiritually and culturally.

Bhutan's national newspaper Kuensel had earlier reported that India would be represented by Rijiju at the event.

What the ceremony is

The 108 Jangchub Choetens, or stupas of enlightenment, are part of an initiative of Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. All 108 are being raised and consecrated at the same site, with proceedings beginning in the early hours with Buddhist rituals, prayers and the sounding of ceremonial horns.

The number 108 is considered sacred in Buddhist practice. The stupas are meant to stand as lasting symbols of peace and compassion, and the event is expected to draw thousands of devotees, giving a lift to local hotels, transport operators and small vendors.

Why it matters for the North East

Gelephu sits on Bhutan's southern border, close to Assam's Bodoland region, and its Mindfulness City project is planned as an economic hub with strong links to India. The proposed Kokrajhar-Gelephu railway line, one of the planned India-Bhutan rail links, is expected to connect the city with Assam.

For Arunachal Pradesh, which shares deep Buddhist traditions with Bhutan, especially in Tawang and West Kameng, the presence of a minister from the state at the event underlines the cultural ties that run across the eastern Himalaya.