The Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan’s Global Peace Prayer Festival, a 16-day gathering running from 4–19 November* will include rare rituals, global peace prayers, and the historic ordination of 250 nuns, marking only the second time that full bhikshuni ordination has been conducted in Bhutan.

The Global Peace Prayer Festival will bring together senior monastic figures from across the Buddhist world, including His Holiness the Je Khenpo, Bhutan’s chief abbot and spiritual leader; the 12th Kenting Tai Situpa; the Ninth Gyalwang Drukpa; and Dorji Lopen Kinley of Bhutan’s Central Monastic Body. According to the organizers, the festival aims to offer blessings for planetary peace and harmony through a combination of ancient ritual practice and modern global outreach.

The festival coincides with 70th birthday of the country’s fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck (r. 1972–2006). Prime minister Tshering Tobgay told reporters: “Inspiration behind this festival is really a royal vision. His Majesty the King commanded that we conduct a Global Peace Prayer Festival based on our spiritual heritage, which is rooted in the tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism and His Majesty the King commanded this particular time because the world needs peace. . .” (ANI)

The opening days, from 4–10 November, will feature the Jabzhi Doechog, an elaborate thread-cross ceremony performed by the Central Monastic Body. The ritual, which is rarely held at this scale, is intended to dispel negative forces and purify collective karma. During this period, multilingual peace prayers will be chanted in Dzongkha, Tibetan, and English at Thimphu’s Changlimithang Stadium and other sacred sites throughout the capital.

On 10 November, a public blessing ceremony will be led by senior lamas, followed the next day by a mass recitation of the Bazaguru mantra—Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum—with lay and monastic participants joining together in prayer.

The centerpiece of the festival will be the bestowal of the Kalachakra initiation by His Holiness the Je Khenpo from 12–14 November. The Kalachakra, or “Wheel of Time,” is among the most profound tantric teachings in Tibetan Buddhism, symbolizing the interconnection between the cosmos and the human body. The initiation, often performed to promote peace and avert global crises, has historically drawn tens of thousands of devotees across Asia.

From 15–19 November, more than 250 nuns from Bhutan and neighboring countries will receive full bhikshuni ordination at the Bhutan Nuns Foundation. This marks a significant moment for women in Buddhism, building on Bhutan’s first full ordination for Buddhist nuns held in 2022. The event underscores growing regional support for gender equality in monastic life and reflects Bhutan’s commitment to Buddhist renewal grounded in compassion and inclusivity.

In addition to ritual and ordination events, the festival will host scholarly panels on Kalachakra cosmology and an exhibition of rare thangka paintings depicting intricate mandalas. Organizers expect thousands of in-person participants and millions of virtual viewers around the world.

The festival’s symbol—two Bodhi leaves in gold and white—represents enlightenment and unity, signifying harmony between East and West. As Bhutan’s leaders describe it, the Global Peace Prayer Festival is intended as both “a homecoming and an outreach,” sharing the nation’s vision of spiritual happiness and global interdependence.

For supporters, the event is seen as Bhutan’s way of sending a message of peace in a world divided by conflict and uncertainty. With its deep roots in compassion and collective well-being, the gathering reflects Bhutan’s unique contribution to contemporary Buddhist practice and inter-religious peace-building.

* Government of Bhutan to Host Landmark Global Peace Prayer Festival in November (BDG)

See more

Buddhist leaders to gather in Bhutan for a unique Global Peace Prayer
Bhutan hosts Global Peace Prayer Festival uniting Buddhist leaders worldwide for compassion and harmony (The Tribune)
India extended significant support to Bhutan’s Global Peace Prayer Festival, says Bhutanese PM Tobgay (ANI)
Bhutan’s Royal Vision: Global Peace Prayer Festival Launches (Devdiscourse)
Amid global turmoil, Bhutan invites the world to unite in prayer for peace, harmony (Public TV English)
Report on the INEB Women’s Study Trip to the Jungto Society in Korea (Bhutan Nuns Foundation)

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