Bhutan's fifth monarch, 31-year-old King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk married 21-year-old commoner Jetsun Pema in a colourful ceremony on Thursday morning . Much before the royal wedding bells began to ring in Bhutan greetings from India could be heard. The wedding celebrations of Bhutan's king began in uniquely Buddhist traditions at an impressive 17th century fortress in Punakha, the country's old capital.
The wedding, showcasing the rich Buddhist culture of the largely insular country, took place amid clouds of incense and chanting by monks, at a majestic monastery-fortress, the Palace of Great Happiness. The Himalayan nation declares three-days of national holiday to honour the event. The couple were dressed in traditional Bhutanese attire.
The Indian connection to the wedding is the Queen herself. Queen Jetsun Pema ten years younger to the king did her higher secondary schooling from Lawrence 2006-08, in the Kasauli hills in Sanawar of Himachal Pradesh. The school also got the wedding invitation from the bride’s family. The school recalls that, well-versed in Hindi and English, the queen was good in sports, including athletics and basketball.
