Tag Archives: Royal Family of Bhutan

The Royal Family of Bhutan Joins Thousands of Volunteers at Zhabto Program in Gelephu Mindfulness City

On Friday, Their Majesties King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan, accompanied by their sons, His Royal Highness Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan and His Royal Highness Prince Ugyen Wangchuck of Bhutan, attended the opening of the 6th volunteer Zhabto program at Gelephu Mindfulness City, a five-day initiative bringing together thousands of participants from across the Kingdom of Bhutan and abroad.

The program includes volunteers from religious institutions, public service, and the private sector, engaged in coordinated work across designated areas of the site, with activities focused on land preparation, environmental management, and infrastructure groundwork within the broader development of the city.

On the opening day, Queen Jetsun Pema attended a ground-breaking ceremony for Druk Ugyen Samyeling, a planned center for Buddhist practice and study. 

The project is intended as a dedicated space for contemplative and communal activity within the wider development.

King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck also visited a site designated for the development of a future golf course at Gelephu Mindfulness City, where the initial planning phase is now underway. 

The visit marked the formal commencement of the design process, with the project forming part of the city’s broader long-term development framework.

On Saturday, Their Majesties, joined by their children, including Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Yangden Wangchuck of Bhutan, participated alongside volunteers within Gelephu Mindfulness City on the second day of the program. Work continued across designated areas, focusing on land clearing, site preparation, and environmental maintenance in support of planned infrastructure, green spaces, and religious developments.

Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan Participates in the Kurukulle Center Blessing Ritual in Gelephu Mindfulness City

On Friday, Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan attended a Salhang Tendrel blessing ritual for the future Kurukulle Center in Gelephu Mindfulness City.

Her Majesty was accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Deki Yangzom Wangchuck of Bhutan, Her Royal Highness Princess Dechen Wangmo Wangchuck of Bhutan, and Ashi Yeatso Lhamo.

The ritual marked an important step in the establishment of the Kurukulle Center, a Buddhist spiritual complex that will form part of the sacred and cultural landscape of Gelephu Mindfulness City.

The center will be presided over by Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche and will be built around a five-story temple dedicated to Jetsunma Kurukulle, a deity in Vajrayana Buddhism.

Plans for the complex indicate that the campus will be designed as a living mandala, incorporating traditional Buddhist symbolism into its layout. The center will include meditation halls, teaching pavilions, and traditional mani walls.

The Kurukulle Center is among several sacred landmarks planned within Gelephu Mindfulness City, a major initiative that seeks to combine Bhutan’s spiritual traditions with sustainable urban development and cultural preservation.