The two-week Kathrid empowerment in Paro begins tomorrow. Thousands of devotees have already gathered in the town, surpassing the turnout estimate. And with more devotees continuing to arrive, the district administration is expanding arrangements for seating and accommodation.
The hall at Tshongdue is empty today. Tomorrow, it is expected to be filled with thousands of devotees receiving the empowerment from His Holiness the Je Khenpo.
Across Paro, the scale of the gathering is already visible.
For the past few weeks, the Paro district administration has been creating additional spaces for people to sit during the Kathrid. Places normally used for parking or selling vegetables have been turned into seating areas for devotees.
“A lot of people have gathered, and everybody is happy. We are blessed to have this opportunity to be part of the Kathri,” said Phuntsho Om from Paro.
The turnout has passed well beyond what organisers initially anticipated. Around 10,000 people were expected, but officials now estimate that about 15,000 people could already be in Paro.
With more devotees expected to arrive, the district administration had to make additional logistical arrangements.
Paro Dzongda Norbu Wangchuk said, “Since yesterday, the number of people coming for the Kathri has exceeded what we initially expected. And since the Kathri is only starting tomorrow, we expect even more people to come. So, we have set up three additional tents to accommodate the growing number of devotees.”
People have also been arriving days in advance to secure their places ahead of tomorrow’s prayers. While some have found space in designated areas, others have made use of every available space, including ramps and areas beneath stairways.
Kezang Wangmo from Naja in Paro has rented a hotel room. “There was some confusion about finding enough places to sit, but the district administration is setting up additional tents, so there aren’t many issues now.”
Meanwhile, to accommodate people coming from outside Paro, some gewogs have also offered their office halls free of charge.
With thousands already in town and more expected to arrive, Paro is continuing to make space for the growing number of devotees who will spend the coming two weeks here receiving the sacred empowerment that holds profound spiritual, cultural, and communal significance in Vajrayana Buddhism.
Karma Samten Wangda
Edited by Sonam Wangdi
