Thousands of devotees are travelling to Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) to attend the raising and consecration of the 108 Jangchub Chortens tomorrow, bringing increased business to hotels and roadside vendors in Tsirang.
More than 40,000 vehicles are expected to travel to Gelephu for the religious ceremony, with over 9,000 expected to pass through Tsirang.
Kencho Wangdi, a devotee from Punakha, is travelling with his daughter, leaving behind his 82-year-old wife at home. He said their presence at the ceremony would represent their family, adding that it was important to be part of the occasion, especially with devotees from other countries also travelling to attend.
Similarly, Passang Dem from Thimphu said they had set aside their important tasks to attend the auspicious occasion and offer prayers.
The steady flow of travellers is also bringing increased business to hotels and roadside vendors along the highway. Hotels are filling up, while roadside businesses are receiving more customers.
Sari Maya Saru, a staff member at Damphu Residency in Tsirang, said the hotel had been fully booked for about a week and had also been receiving meal orders over the past three days.
She said a lunch booking for 30 people scheduled for tomorrow was cancelled after the customers decided to travel to Gelephu today instead.
Dawa Dolma Tamang, a roadside vegetable seller in Tsirang, said her daily earnings had increased significantly from the usual Nu. 700 to 1,000 to around Nu. 6,000 to 7,000.
As thousands of people make their way south to attend the religious ceremony, Tsirang’s hotels and roadside businesses are seeing increased customer activity.
Pema Tshewang
Edited by Passang
