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By Our Reporter

In October this year, during the Dasain festival, Nepal’s deposed King Gyanendra visited Bhutan at the invitation of Bhutani King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The Nepali deposed King was welcomed there at the status of a sitting King of Nepal. Bhutani Princess welcomed the Nepali deposed King at the airport the Bhutani Royal Family offered royal hospitality to the Nepali King and members of the Nepali Royal Family.

Former King and father of Jigme Khesar, Jigme Singye Wangchuck also held a meeting with the Nepali King visiting Bhutan.

The visit was very unique and different speculations were made in Kathmandu. Normally, Nepal’s Hindu monarch never leaves the country specially after the Dasain festival starts. By breaking the tradition, King Gyanendra visited Bhutan, which is meaningful.

Again, upon his return from a formal visit to India, after holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister, S Jaishankar, among others, Bhutani King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wanchuck dropped in Kathmandu just for four hours and returned to Bhutan the same afternoon on Friday, December 6.

The Bhutani King was received by Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba and she was also present to bid farewell to the King at the Tribhuvan International Airport. The Kathmandu security was beefed up during the Bhutani King’s stay in Kathmandu. The Bhutani King visited Swyambhu and Baudhnath Stupas and performed special pooja there according to the Buddhist rituals.

Coincidently, Nepal’s former King was in Nepalgunj when the Bhutani King was in Kathmandu.

According to a diplomatic source, although the Bhutani Royal Family members used to visit Kathmandu and spend weeks at the Soaltee Hotel as guests of the Nepali King, however, neither Bhutani King Jigme Singye nor Jigme Khesar paid an official visit to Nepal. Why Jigme Khesar Namgyel chose to pay an informal visit to Kathmandu for a short period, is unique. Does his visit give any special message for Nepal, a federal, secular and republic?

During the coronation of Bhutani King Jigme Singye, Nepal’s Prince Dhirendra represented on behalf of King Birendra, recalls M.R. Josse, Consultant Editor Emeritus of the People’s Review Weekly. Josse, then chief editor of the Rising Nepal and another journalist from Biratnagar, Bippin Dhungel were also included in the Royal entourage to Bhutan.

Born in Nepal:

45 year old Bhutani King Jigme Khesar Namgyel was born in the Maternity Home Hospital in Thapathali, confirms former Home Ministry official, the then undersecretary, Tamla Ukkyab.

According to the Hospital record, mother Kchering Yangdon gave birth to Jigme Khesar early in the morning on February 21, 1980.

Dr Dibyeshwori Malla-led team had handled the case. The late Malla was the daughter of an informal wife of King Tribhuvan.

Although Jigme Singye Wangchuck had already become the King of Bhutan, queens were not declared. The then King Birendra assigned Dr Malla to handle the case.

Mother Yangdon arrived in Kathmandu along with her two sisters to give birth to Jigme Khesar.

The Bhutani Royal Palace had informed Nepal’s Royal Palace about the arrival of the unannounced queen Yangdon to Kathmandu.

Ukkyab recalls that when the three queens wished to attend the birthday ceremony of King Birendra, he had managed three special seats for the three Bhutani queens at the Royal Nepal Army Pavilion.

Bhutani queens were frequently visiting Kathmandu as the then Kushe Chhechu Dukpa Lama of the Tarkedhyang in Sindhupalchowk, was the maternal uncle of the queen mothers of the present King, Ukkyab recals.