Thimphu [Bhutan], November 3 (ANI): As the world faces growing conflict and division, Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu, is preparing to host the Global Peace Prayer Festival 2025 — a grand celebration of unity, compassion, and spiritual harmony.
Set against the tranquil backdrop of the Himalayas, the festival aims to bring people from across the globe together in a collective prayer for peace and healing. Beginning Tuesday, the capital will come alive as monks, volunteers, and organizers finalize preparations to welcome thousands of devotees and spiritual leaders from around the world.
The festival will gather eminent lamas and spiritual figures representing all schools and traditions of Buddhism — Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana — both from Bhutan and abroad.
Over two weeks, participants will engage in a sequence of prayers, rituals, and empowerments, culminating in a historic ordination ceremony for Buddhist nuns from around the globe.
The event will open with the Jabzhi Dhoechog ritual at Kuenselphodrang from November 4 to 10, conducted by the Central Monastic Body. This rare and elaborate ceremony, seldom performed on such a grand scale, is dedicated to global peace and happiness. It combines peaceful offerings with protective rituals to heal, cleanse, and purify negative karma from the body, speech, and mind.
Simultaneously, the Global Peace Prayer will take place at Changlimithang Ground, featuring seven days of non-sectarian Vajrayana Buddhist prayers representing all Buddhist traditions. The prayers will be conducted in English, Tibetan, and Dzongkha to promote inclusivity and understanding among participants.
The program will also include public blessings by eminent lamas on November 10 and a mass recitation of the Bazaguru mantra on November 11, offering a collective moment of devotion and unity for world peace.
From November 12 to 14, the festival will feature the Kalachakra Initiation and Empowerment, presided over by His Holiness the Je Khenpo, focusing on the sacred relationship between the individual and the universe.
The event will culminate with the Bhikkhuni (Gelongma) Ordination of more than 250 Buddhist nuns from around the world, to be held from November 15 to 19 at the Bhutan Nuns Foundation in Tshalumaphey, Thimphu.
This historic ordination, the second of its kind for Mahayana Buddhist nuns in Bhutan, will be accompanied by exhibitions of Kalachakra art, sacred artifacts, and scholarly seminars celebrating wisdom, compassion, and harmony.
As Bhutan opens its heart to the world, the Global Peace Prayer Festival 2025 stands as a beacon of unity and hope amid global uncertainty. Blending ancient rituals with a modern call for compassion, it embodies Bhutan’s enduring commitment to peace, spiritual balance, and the well-being of all beings.
As prayers echo through the Himalayas, the festival will leave behind not only blessings but also a powerful reminder that collective faith, compassion, and understanding remain humanity’s greatest path to lasting peace. (ANI)
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