The fifth Dragon King came down from his golden throne to place a silk crown upon the head of his bride. Monks chanted in celebration and she took her seat beside him Thursday, the new queen of the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan. The wedding of King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck to his commoner bride, Jetsun Pema, has captivated a nation that had grown impatient with their 31-year-old bachelor king's lack of urgency to take a wife and start a family since his father retired and handed power to him five years ago.
Thousands of Bhutanese from the surrounding villages joined the king and queen at their wedding reception at a fairground outside the country's most sacred monastery fortress, where a slate of dancers performed traditional routines for the new couple. "I have longed for this celebration, and here it is," said Pema Gyeltshen, a nearby villager, as he watched the dancing. When the king, who has a reputation as a down-to-earth and accessible leader, was asked how it felt to be married, he asked his questioner if she was married. When she said no, he responded: "It's great; you should try it yourself."
The celebrations began at 8:20 a.m. – a time set by royal astrologers – when the king, wearing the royal yellow sash over a golden robe with red flowers and multicolored boots, walked into the courtyard of the 17th century monastery in the old capital of Punakha and proceeded up the high staircase inside. A few minutes later, his 21-year-old bride, the daughter of an airline pilot, arrived at the end of a procession of red-robed monks and flag bearers across a wooden footbridge over the wide, blue river beside the fort and followed him inside. Singers chanted songs of celebration amid the clanging of drums and the drone of long dhung trumpets. She wore a traditional wrap around skirt with a gold jacket with deep red cuffs.
Inside, the nation's top cleric, who presided over the wedding, performed a purification ceremony for the couple in front of a massive 100-foot (30-meter) Thongdal tapestry of Bhutan's 17th century founder, the monk-king Zhabdrung.
Shashi gave me this nice mini sheet.
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