Preparations for the 115th National Day celebration are almost complete at the Changlimithang stadium in the capital. The National Day this year will be celebrated out in the open for the first time after two years of closed-door celebrations. Hundreds and thousands of people could be attending the celebrations this time.
With a few more days left for the National Day, preparations and practice are in full swing. A final rehearsal was also held today. Cabinet Ministers including the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader also attended the rehearsal.
“Whether in terms of cultural programmes or logistics, everything is being finalised today. In the next few days, the final details will be looked at. Otherwise, we are almost all set,” said Ugyen Dorji, the Home and Cultural Affairs Minister.
While the day’s celebrations will be broadcast live on television, some people are planning to experience the celebrations in person at the Changlimithang.
“Of course, we can watch the live on television and see our king. But to be able to attend the celebrations in person here and to be able to see His Majesty in real would be a different kind of feeling. People are all excited here,” said Pema Samdrup, the Programme Coordinator of RAPA.
“Well, attending the national day celebration here in person, nothing can replace this excitement or the experience that you will get by attending the celebration in person. You can feel the pride, a sense of excitement, pride, and togetherness. And it is also about the energy that we get from the royal address,” said the Home and Cultural Affairs Minister.
“There is a big difference to hear and see His Majesty in real than seeing him on television. The Changlimithang is a blessed and historic ground. The sense of excitement would be different if we attend in person,” said Sonam Tobgay, Associate Professor of Royal Thimphu College.
Unlike the past years, the national day this time will have fewer cultural programmes. However, for the first time, there will be a live concert by Bhutanese artists which will begin after His Majesty’s speech and the Tashi Laybey.
Kinley Dem
Edited by Sonam Pem
