Thimphu [Bhutan], November 17 (ANI): Bhutan has commenced its second Bhikkhuni, or Gelongma, ordination ceremony, marking another historic milestone for Buddhist nuns across the Himalayan region who have long awaited access to full monastic ordination. The ceremony is the final programme of the Global Peace Prayer festivals.
The Bhutan Nuns Foundation (BNF), in partnership with Bhutan’s Central Monastic Body, is conducting the five-day ordination from November 15 to 19 at the BNF Training and Resource Centre in Tshalumaphey, Thimphu. Bhutan’s Je Khenpo is presiding over the conferral of ordination.
This year’s programme also commemorates the 70th birth anniversary of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and concludes the Global Peace Prayers that began on November 4.
According to the Bhutan Nuns Foundation, more than 261 nuns from 14 countries — including Bhutan, India, Australia, several European nations, and the United States — are participating. The event is being held behind closed doors and is not open to the public.
The current ceremony follows the landmark 2022 ordination in Ramothangka, Paro, where 142 nuns from six countries received full Bhikkhuni ordination. Endorsed by Queen Mother Tshering Yangdoen Wangchuck and the Je Khenpo, the 2022 event was the first of its kind in the Himalayan region. At the time, many nuns described it as transformative, with one newly ordained Gelongma saying she “never thought this would be possible in this lifetime,” noting that she once believed she would have to be reborn as a man to pursue full ordination.
Organisers say the continued Bhikkhuni ordinations fulfil an important aspiration within Buddhist tradition by creating a complete fourfold sangha — monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen — enabling the Dharma to flourish equally. The BNF notes that Bhutan now stands as one of the rare places where the Buddhist path is fully accessible to both women and men, calling it “a true central land” in the spirit of early Buddhist teachings.
During the ongoing ceremony, the Je Khenpo has bestowed Dharma names, blessed the participants, and distributed sacred monastic robes and alms bowls to the nuns. This marks the second full Mahayana Bhikkhuni ordination organised by the Bhutan Nuns Foundation.
Tashi Zangmo, Executive Director of the Bhutan Nuns Foundation, said the event reflects years of dedication and the guidance of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, whose support has helped pave the way for women seeking higher ordination in the Vajrayana tradition.
The Foundation says the merit of the ordination is being dedicated to global peace, equality, and the advancement of women in spiritual life.
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