Volunteers Construct 108 Sacred Stupas for Bhutan’s Ambitious Mindfulness City

By AFP and The Associated Press

Published On 2 Nov 2026

Tens of thousands of volunteers have helped construct 108 sacred Buddhist stupas in Bhutan’s newly envisioned Gelephu Mindfulness City, marking a significant step in the Himalayan kingdom’s ambitious drive to stimulate economic growth and preserve its cultural heritage.

The 15-meter-tall (50ft) stupas—sacred Buddhist monuments—were erected along a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) stretch of riverbank near the Indian border. The site is destined to become the Gelephu Mindfulness City, a project spearheaded by the Bhutanese monarchy to foster sustainable development.

More than 40,000 volunteers participated in the monumental construction effort, beginning their work after midnight. The volunteers viewed the structures as “a physical form of prayer made permanent in stone and earth.” In Buddhism, the number 108 holds deep spiritual significance.

The culmination of the effort drew approximately 200,000 attendees to the ceremony, representing nearly a quarter of the nation’s total population.

“I was worried that raising 108 stupas in a single day might not succeed,” Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck remarked during the ceremony. “But everything went successfully, and for that, I am truly grateful.”

The Gelephu Mindfulness City, conceived by the king and designed by Danish architects, is intended to address Bhutan’s pressing economic challenges, which include rising youth unemployment, declining birth rates, and the emigration of skilled workers. The project aims to attract investment in sustainable industries, green technology, education, tourism, and financial services, encouraging young Bhutanese to remain in the country.

Located in southern Bhutan along the border with India, approximately 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of the capital, Thimphu, the city currently has a population of about 10,000. The king officially designated the area as a special economic zone by royal charter in 2024, with the goal of transforming it into a “vibrant economic hub.”

Bhutan, a landlocked nation of fewer than 800,000 people nestled between China and India, is globally recognized for its unique policy of prioritizing “Gross National Happiness” alongside traditional economic metrics.

Nima Gyeltshen, 65, head of the Organisation for Youth Empowerment, which assists young Bhutanese in finding employment, stated that the event would be remembered for generations. “This occasion will be recorded in our history for generations to come,” he said.

Despite the optimistic outlook, analysts have questioned whether the initiative can secure sufficient investment. However, Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, founder of the ports-to-power conglomerate Adani Group, joined the project as a founding member in January. Infrastructure developments include a planned rail link to neighboring Assam, India, and a new international airport scheduled to open in 2029.

The project is also closely tied to Bhutan’s growing cryptocurrency ambitions. The kingdom has been mining Bitcoin using surplus hydropower, pledging to leverage digital assets to support the city’s development.

Local residents, such as 56-year-old Bishnu Maya Moktang, who attended the ceremony, expressed profound hope for the future. “I hope to live long enough to see it,” Moktang told AFP. “My parents died young, and they would never see the city. I feel fortunate.”

Source link