Their Majesties receive His Holiness

May 27, 2017

His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen received His Holiness the Je Khenpo and the central monastic body at the Lingkana palace yesterday.

Their Majesties offered suja and desi to His Holiness and the monks who returned to Thimphu from Punakha, their winter residence.

Led by His Holiness, the Central Monk Body left Punakha for Thimphu, their summer residence on Friday. The monk body made a night halt at Simotkha dzong in keeping with the tradition.

Thimphu residents queued along the road to receive blessings as His Holiness and the monk body made their way to Tashichhodzong from Simtokha earlier yesterday.

The Central Monastic Body spends six months in Punakha, their winter residence, and returns to their summer residence on the first day of the fourth Bhutanese month every year.

The tradition of maintaining summer and winter residences dates back to early 17^th century. It was instituted by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel.