As Bhutan declared October 14 a day of mourning and the national flag flew at half-mast for three days to mourn the sad demise of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, we experienced a special bond shared by our two Buddhist Kingdoms.

The spontaneous outpouring of love and respect demonstrated by the Bhutanese for the Late King of Thailand is overwhelming; and such kind gestures, during a time of sorrow and grief of our friends in Thailand, will go a long way in further deepening the friendship enjoyed by our two countries.

On Command of the Druk Gyalpo, special prayers and lighting of butter lamps were held in all the 20 dzongkhags (districts) of Bhutan, covering some of the most scared and holy places of the country, in memory of the Late King. Thousands of people across the country continue to visit dzongs, temples, and other sacred places to show their respect.

Here in Thimphu, special prayers, led by His Majesty The King, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and the members of the Royal Family, were performed at the Tashichhodzong and other holy temples.

His Holiness the Je Khenpo performed a special prayer and lighting of 1,000 butter lamps during the Moenlam Chenmo in Chukha.

His Majesty The King, Her Majesty The Gyeltsuen, and HRH The Gyalsey visited Thailand to pay personal respects to the Late Monarch.

As prayers and butters lamps continue to be offered, we take this opportunity to join the nation in offering our condolences to the people of Thailand and in conveying our deep respect for His Late Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

We resonate our Druk Gyalpo’s solemn and profound prayer on October 16, 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand to come true:

“To the Incomparable, Visionary and Most Precious Jewel King, the King of Thailand, who attained Parinirvana, I would like to offer my deepest respect, and my heartfelt prayers. May Your Majesty always be born as Dharma Raja, to the benefit of all sentient beings.”