The lottery programme at the National Day celebration in Thimphu stole the show yesterday.

Although Changlingmithang stadium remained quite vacant in the morning, the stadium started to fill by 10 am.

Before the activities of the day took off at the stadium, the projector screened the celebration at Samtse.

His Royal Highness the Gyalsey’s bow to His Majesty The Fourth King and His Holiness the Je Khenpo charmed the audience, who listened attentively to His Majesty’s address to the nation.

Throughout the celebration, spectators held onto their lottery tickets in hopes of winning a prize. More than 20 prizes were given away to the public yesterday.

The prizes included a power tiller, a mountain bike, a refrigerator, a washing machine, health insurance policies, and gadgets among others.

While nobody came forward to claim the power tiller, an Indian national who had been travelling across the country for a few days took the mountain bike.

A business consultant, Ritesh Garg, said he was in Thimphu just for the day and happened to join the celebration. “I will take the bike home.”

Other lottery winners included police personnel, Royal Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA) dancers, and housewives.

A hotel employee in Thimphu, Choki Wangmo, 27, said she had not expected to win a laptop. Choki Wangmo, who had joined the celebration with her friends said it was important to celebrate the day. “I have attended the celebration since I have been in Thimphu. It is important for people to pay their respect to the kings and the country.”

The day was also marked with performances by students of various schools in Thimphu, RAPA, and parents.

Phurpa Lhamo

Advertisement