ON DEMOCRACY'S FOOTSTEPS: President Pratibha Patil [Images] wrapped up on a positive note her four-day visit to Bhutan, where she attended the coronation of the world's youngest monarch Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wanchuck, giving a fresh momentum to close bilateral ties.

Patil, who left for New Delhi [Images], said the Indo-Bhutan relations have reached a "new high" this year and hoped the ties between the world's largest and newest democracies would become "deeper and more fruitful" in future.

In a special gesture, Bhutan's 4th King Jigme Singye Wangchuck escorted the President to the VVIP aircraft at the airport here and had a brief chat with her inside the plane.

The King, the new monarch's father, told the President that he found her to be "such a wonderful person".

President Patil appreciated his concept of Gross National Happiness for the Himalayan state and greeted him for his birthday on November 11.

During her stay in Bhutan, Patil along with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi [Images] attended the coronation ceremony of the Himalayan nation's fifth King, 28-year old Jigme Khesar

Namgyel Wangchuck. Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi [Images], sister Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra were also present on the occasion.

President Patil was seen off at her Thimpu hotel by the Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Y Thinley when she left for Paro airport, 60 kms from the capital of the Himalayan nation.

The last high-level visit to Bhutan was made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] in May after Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) party leader Thinley was elected to head the first democratically elected government.

Image: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wanchuck with President Pratibha Patil during her visit to Bhutan

Photograph courtesy: Rashtrapathi Bhavan