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Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk on Friday began his three-day tour to Assam with a visit to the Kamakhya Temple atop the Nilachal Hills in Guwahati.
The king, draped with a traditional Buddhist yellow robe, prayed at the 'garbhagriha' (sanctum sanctorum) and performed the 'parikrama' (circumambulation) of the temple, besides lighting earthen lamps in obeisance to the Goddess, The authorities presented a replica of the Kamakhya Temple to the royal visitor. Earlier in the day, the 43-year-old king of the neighbouring Himalayan country arrived at the Lokpriya Gopinath International Airport here and was received by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Sarma welcomed the king with the traditional Assamese 'Gamosa' (scarf). The royal visitor greeted the chief minister. King Wangchuck is accompanied by senior officials of the royal government of Bhutan. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he is "elated" to welcome Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. In a post on X, Sarma stated, "On behalf of the people of Assam, I am elated to welcome His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan. Under the guidance of our Hon'ble Prime Minister, we look forward to the strengthening of the special relationship between our two countries." In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated, "A warm welcome to His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on his first official visit to Assam. Welcomed by CM @himantabiswa at the Guwahati airport." During his visit, the Bhutan King will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement. Furthermore, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and senior officials of the Indian government will also call on Bhutan King. The Bhutanese King is also slated to travel to Maharashtra. The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said, "India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterized by understanding and mutual trust. The visit would provide an opportunity to both the sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and to further advance the exemplary bilateral partnership, across diverse sectors." Earlier, this April the Bhutanese king had visited India and met with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.(ANI)
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