Volunteers raise 108 Buddhist monuments in a single day in Bhutan
Forty thousand people helped assemble the structures in 12 hours, completing a project that Bhutanese officials say will serve as a spiritual anchor for a new economic zone.
By Bianca Herrera ·
Buddhist leaders and roughly 200,000 people gathered in Gelephu, Bhutan, on Sunday to watch the completion of a massive construction project.
Volunteers assembled 108 stupas in a single day. The structures stand about 50 feet tall and are spaced 354 feet apart. They form a line along the Mao Chhu river.
The number 108 is sacred in Buddhism. The project, known as Project 108, places these monuments in a single file to create a visual procession. The city is located in southern Bhutan near the border with India. It sits about 150 miles south of the capital, Thimphu.
Gelephu is currently a small town with a population of about 10,000. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck conceived the Mindfulness City project. Danish architects designed the layout. The plan emphasizes ecological sustainability and citizen happiness over commercial profit.
Bhutan faces rising unemployment and a falling birth rate. Many skilled workers are migrating out of the country. The government hopes this new city will boost the economy and give young people a reason to stay.
About 40,000 volunteers helped finish the external structures on Sunday. Work began at 2 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m. That finished the job about four hours ahead of schedule. Workers assembled prefabricated pieces during the 12-hour window.
Kinley Dorji, a spokesperson for Gelephu Mindfulness City, described the event as a big historic and spiritual moment. He said the site is a prime location where the plains of India rise into the Himalayas. He noted that officials initially expected thousands of attendees but saw 100,000 people come together.
Bhutan is the only sovereign nation where Vajrayana Buddhism is constitutionally enshrined as the state religion. The faith influences daily governance and legal frameworks. The concept of Gross National Happiness, which prioritizes well-being over pure economic growth, applies Buddhist principles to policy.
The tradition of building chortens in Bhutan is more than 2,500 years old. The earliest structures were built to hold relics of the Buddha. A project statement said building a chorten is a meritorious act that offers spiritual benefit to everyone who encounters it.
The sealed structures will be filled with prayers, blessings, relics, and spiritual texts. At night, large crowds held glowing yellow light balls and chanted at the base of the monuments. The Venerable Pannakara, a Theravada monk, traveled from the United States to witness the event. He completed a 2,300-mile walk for peace from Texas to Washington, D.C., earlier in the year.
