Bhutan's new king crowned
6/11/2008 18:01
The fifth king of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was adorned with
crown today at a coronation ceremony, reports reaching in New Delhi said.
The
Oxford educated 28-year-old Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the oldest son of
the former Bhutanese king. He became the world's youngest reigning monarch and
head of the newest democracy after the coronation.
Sounds of giant gongs and
Buddhist hymns echoed the white- walled Golden Throne Room at Tashichhodzong in
capital Thimphu, a fortress that is now the seat of the government, as the
fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck handed over the crown to the new king this
morning, the Indo-Asian News Service reported.
A host of foreign dignitaries
and the ambassadors of 23 countries were witness to the historic
ceremony.
The traditional ceremony with Buddhist rituals would be followed by
felicitations in the afternoon by more than 20,000 people at Tendrel Thang, the
ceremonial ground in Thimphu. Bhutan will enjoy three days of national
celebrations following today' s ceremony, .
The entire Thimphu city wears a
festive look with men and women in traditional dresses lined up in the street
outside the fortress, waiting for a glimpse of the new king, the report
said.
Bhutan held its first parliamentary elections earlier this year making
a historic shift from a 100-year-old monarchy to democracy.
The former king
Jigme Singye Wangchuck decided in December 2006 to abdicate the throne in favour
of his eldest son. He had set the process in 2001 for Bhutan's transformation
from an absolute monarch to a parliamentary democracy that led to the country
having a new constitution.
Xinhua
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