Bandar Seri Begawan - More than 95,000 visitors passed through the doors of Istana Nurul Iman during this year‘s Hari Raya Aidil Fitri celebrations, which saw more than 37,000 people on the final day queuing patiently to see His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu‘izzadin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha.
The morning session saw 22,025 people greet His Majesty and the members of the royal family, with the total figure hitting 37,292 people by the time the final visitor had left the palace. The palace had received 29,019 visitors and well-wishers on the second day of Syawal, which was eclipsed the next day by a figure of 29,358, with the final tally over all three days arriving at 95,669.
Despite the waves of well wishers pouring in on the final day, it fell short of the record 102,599 visitors who had come to Istana Nurul Iman last year. In 2006 the first two days alone saw 80,000 people flock to His Majesty‘s residence on Jalan Tutong, Bandar Seri Begawan.
Every year Bruneians celebrate Aidil Fitri, after fasting during the month of Ramadhan, a time when Istana Nurul Iman, the residential palace of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam is open to the members of the public, whether they are local or tourists. It has proven to be the only celebration of its kind where members of the public can personally meet the monarch of a country, a tradition that has been practised in Brunei and which gained the sultanate widespread interest all over the world as there is nothing quite like it anywhere else.
Source: www.brudirect.com (17 Oktober 2007)