Thousands of people from 15 Gewogs in Samtse arrived in the main town yesterday to celebrate the 111th National Day. Over sixty buses were arranged to transport people from the villages. While most of the people stayed in arranged accommodations, there were also some who were not able to find one.
About 60 people from the far-flung villages of the district slept on the pavement of buildings on the eve of the National Day yesterday. The excitement for the National Day today had people brave chilly winter night of Samtse.
A group of 14 people from Namgaychhoeling Gewog occupied the space near a prayer wheel. The group included mothers and their babies. It was a bit chilly but the people are high in spirits for the National Day.
“We don’t have any problem spending a night like this. We are excited that we will get to see His Majesty The King and members of The Royal Family,” Dhan Bahadur Ghalley from Namgyalchhoeling Gewog said.
“We endured everything to get here just to see His Majesty The King and celebrate the National Day,” Krishna Maya Ghalley, also from Namgyalchhoeling, said.
Another group of 10 people were seen sleeping near the taxi stand in Samtse town. The largest group of about 30 people took shelter around the pavement of a building near the National Day celebrations venue.
“I had just reached here when Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen visited us. Since I never met Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen before, I consider myself fortunate. We were even given blankets. Even though we don’t have a place to sleep, we are happy to come here to celebrate the day,” Pema Khandu from Tendruk Gewog said.
The dust on the 111th National Day has settled and these people, who gave up their comforts to take part in the event, went back with fond memories. They will cherish the day for the rest of their lives.
