Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyal led thousands of his countrymen in prayers at a special ceremony for the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Namgyal offered prayers and the traditional butter lamps in the Tashichhodzong fortress here and also expressed solidarity with the government and people of India in their resolve to fight terror.
Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley, his Cabinet colleagues, Indian Ambassador to Bhutan Sudhir Vyas, parliamentarians and representatives from the international community and senior government officials also attended the prayer ceremony.
Terming the attacks as “barbaric”, Thinley said Bhutan shared the pain of the family members of the victims and the grief of the people of India.
“The Bhutanese people are equally aggrieved. Today, beginning with His Majesty we are expressing solidarity with the people of India by offering one thousand butter lamps,” said Thinley.
He said Bhutan will do everything to support India and work together to prevent such acts from occurring in future.
Meanwhile, Karma Tshomo, a law student from Samdrup Jongkhar district studying in Mumbai, was lucky as she had returned to her apartment barely half an hour before the siege at the Taj Hotel.
“I was so shocked because so many people died, nothing of this kind happens in Bhutan,” said Karma.
Of five Bhutanese students studying in Mumbai, Karma was the only one in the city during the attack, staying back for exams. The others had left three days earlier.