On October 17, 2015, His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited Darla Gewog. It was a historic moment—never before had a king set foot in Darla. The audience took place at the Rinchentse Helipad, and for the people there, it was nothing short of unforgettable.
His Majesty had originally planned to visit our school. But due to a busy schedule, the King and His entourage arrived very late in the evening. Instead of hosting Him at the school, we were asked to go down to Rinchentse. So we walked in a line for nearly three kilometers before being picked up by buses along the way. Our school, unfortunately, missed the Royal visit—despite a week of splendid and pompous preparations. We had polished everything. The floors were shining. The students were rehearsed.
But anyway, we were still extremely lucky to have an audience with His Majesty at Rinchentse, alongside the public of Darla and neighboring villages. Thousands of people had gathered on the ground. Some had reportedly arrived as early as 5 a.m.—which, in Bhutanese time, is basically the middle of the night. The audience was graced by His Majesty's presence at 5 p.m. He gave a royal speech, expressing how happy He was to be with the people. He also spoke about being good citizens and taking care of children—sons and daughters alike. No pressure, parents.
His Majesty also served tokha to the people, and everyone received a booklet containing a Coronation coin. (Yes, a coin. Not spendable. But far more valuable.) The event also featured dances performed by the public of Darla and students of Darla Middle Secondary School. And to keep the mood light, Bhutanese comedians Gyem Tshering and Gyam Dorji cracked joke after joke—witty, loud, and thoroughly enjoyable. There was much mirth and joy. People laughed until their stomachs hurt.
As the crowd dispersed, everyone walked away smiling—clutching a beautiful portrait of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen. Some probably framed theirs the very next day. So yes, the King didn't visit our school. But for one evening, Darla became the center of the universe. And we were there.
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