Ayodhya: A new chapter was added to the history of the Ram Temple on Thursday as Bhutan’s Prime Minister Dasho Shering Tobgay became the first foreign head of government, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to offer prayers at the shrine. He was accompanied by his wife during the visit.
Tobgay arrived in Ayodhya at 9:30 am in a special Indian Air Force aircraft from Gaya, Bihar. He was received at the airport by Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi on behalf of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, state administration and police. From the airport, the Bhutanese premier proceeded directly to the Ram Temple by road, with traffic restrictions in place for a brief period on the highway.
At around 10 am, Tobgay reached the temple and spent nearly one hour and forty minutes in the premises. He offered prayers to Ram Lalla and the Ram Darbar and also visited other sacred sites including the Kuber Tila, Jatayu and Sapt Mandapam temples. He closely observed the murals around the lower plinth and the bronze murals being installed on the periphery wall. He was seen capturing moments of the visit on his mobile phone and expressed admiration for the intricate carvings of the temple.
Inside the sanctum, Tobgay offered flowers, performed the aarti and bowed thrice in reverence before Ram Lalla. He later accepted charanamrit and appeared visibly delighted during the rituals.
After the temple visit, the Bhutanese leader was welcomed at Hotel Ramayana with a cultural programme in traditional Bhutanese style. A lunch was hosted in his honour by the district administration on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government. Following the engagement, Tobgay departed for New Delhi in an IAF aircraft.
