Saturday, 25 February 2012

HM's Birthday Celebration

When people at home were all in festive mood getting ready to celebrate the 32nd birth anniversary of our beloved 5th king  and the losar, I was a busy sojourner here in Andra Pradesh heading my way to the college as early as 6:40am in the morning to attend the normal packed and tiring  class which starts from 7:20am. I came to know that the 22nd of February was the beginning of the new year according to our Bhutanese lunar calendar only after my friend back home texted me to express her wish. I don’t mean to say that I am least bothered in all these things but it so happened because I was quite tangled in the busy college schedule. Bhutanese studying here in Vijayawada without any dissent came together wholeheartedly to celebrate our king’s birth anniversary for we know it is the only way for us to show and pay tribute to our beloved majesty for his selfless service to the people of Bhutan in our own simple way. We the students of Koneru Lakshmaih University and Acharya Nagurjuna University came together to mark the historic day. It all happened in a consistent and a systematic manner with full zest and vigorous amusement with the Marchang Ceremony and the hymning of our National Anthem followed by the singing of national Anthem of India. Later, student friends performed a few cultural programs costumed in our national attire which looked bright and dazzling as always.

Honorable Vice Chancellor of Acharya Nagarjuna Uinversity who graced the very significant occasion as a chief guest for the celebration joined hands with us to wish our Majesty a prosperous reign, a happy life in decades to come and wished well for the country’s  everlasting peace and prosperity. He exhibited his appraisal for the concept of Gross National Happiness that our country has been implementing to indicate the peace and the happiness of the people when world around does by measuring the gross domestic product. He lauded this concept which has its root embedded in our country by saying that this philosophy has spread worldwide and deliberated incessantly as many sees the pros of this noble policy in heaps. Well, these were some of the points that I could grab hold from the lengthy speech of the Vice Chancellor and I could do nothing more than just open my ears open since every words of him was worth of embracing. The other distinguished guests, who were mostly the high profile individuals  of the University were all amazed to see the people’s love for the country and their king as they verbally pointed out that they have no experience of such an enamor being brought up in a country which is governed by various democratic parties for ages and they just landed up appreciating what they saw in this very important day of Bhutanese people.

 Anything special and amusing that is full of entertainments just comes to an end in a very brief manner and that’s what exactly I would describe with the cultural programs since it entertained us to the fullest within a limited time. We then dispersed from the auditorium to the nearby canteen for the simple lunch which was to be followed by soccer match among the Bhutanese. Attractive prizes were kept for the winners to invigorate the match and give energy in the scorching bad heat of Andra Pradesh.  For the reason that my talent in playing soccer  in the ground is nil almost, I told my team mates that God has gifted me with a better managerial skills than playing in the field, though it was just a humour and an excuse for me to skip from  broiling in  the bad heat. When my team  mates played the soccer match, I cheered them up as I know how hard it is to play in the sunny daylight where mercury level soars abruptly high. Later, we went cycling around the spacious university campus sight viewing the greenery  and the academic blocks around. Subsequently, following the sunset, we were directed by the Bhutanese students of that university to the dinning hall for a  dinner and  then scattered ourselves to the  respective apartments with the promises of meeting again next year for the particular propitious and important day. Though, far away from homeland and missed the celebrations with other fellow citizens at home, we celebrated the day in a simple manner, but very beautifully and blissfully.

Losar celebration was another gratifying moment and celebrated the way we sharchops celebrate with variety of dishes and brews.

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