His Majesty The King, Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen, and Their Royal Highnesses Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel and Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck attended the 6th volunteer Zhabto programme opening in Gelephu Mindfulness City, with approximately 8,100 volunteers participating from various sectors, including monasteries, the public, and government administrations. Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen also led the groundbreaking ceremony for the Druk Ugyen Samyé Ling, reminiscent of Tibet’s historic Samyé monastery, which will serve as a center for Buddhist practice and a community hub. The complex will be designed in a sacred mandala format, featuring a central temple and twelve designated zones for rituals and community activities, housing 200 monks, shrine rooms, a Buddhist education school, and a meditation retreat hermitage, along with 100,000 statues of Ugyen Norlha.
During the five-day programme, from April 10 to 14, volunteers will engage in tasks across Gelephu Mindfulness City, such as clearing habitat exclusion areas, removing invasive species, and preparing sites for the construction of the 108 Jangchu Chorten. Additional work will include land development at the central park and bush clearing at Riverside and Wetland Parks. Subsequently, His Majesty The King visited the site intended for an 18-hole golf course at Barshong, accompanied by golf course architect Tom Doak, co-designer Vijit Nandrajog, and GLP CEO Ming Z. Mei. This visit signifies the commencement of the golf course design process, which will operate as a non-profit entity, directing any financial surpluses back to Bhutanese communities.
