Spirituality

Volunteers build 108 Buddhist stupas in Bhutan's planned mindfulness city.

Volunteers built 108 Buddhist stupas in a single day at the site of Bhutan's planned Gelephu Mindfulness City, Al Jazeera reports. Officials said more than 40,000 people took part in the work, which began after midnight on November 1.

The monuments stand along 12km of riverbank near the Indian border, and each is 15 metres tall, according to Al Jazeera. Officials told AFP that about 200,000 people attended the ceremony, nearly a fourth of Bhutan's population.

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The stupas mark Buddhist enlightenment#

The Associated Press reports that the new stupas symbolize Buddha's enlightenment. A stupa is a sacred Buddhist monument with a dome that can hold relics and serve as a site for pilgrimage and meditation.

The number 108 is sacred in Buddhism, which is widely practised in Bhutan, Al Jazeera reports. According to the Project 108 website, the monuments are spaced about 108 metres apart in a single line along the Mao Chhu river, forming a procession of structures.

The Associated Press reports that Buddhist masters from various schools and denominations gathered with people from around the world at the event. Buddhists prayed along the river as monks and workers built the monuments.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck said at the ceremony that he had been concerned about completing the 108 stupas in one day. "But everything went successfully, and for that, I am truly grateful," he said, according to Al Jazeera.

Gelephu's plans reach beyond the monuments#

The king conceived Gelephu Mindfulness City, and Danish architects designed it, Al Jazeera reports. The site is currently a small town of about 10,000 people in southern Bhutan, roughly 240km south of the capital, Thimphu.

Bhutanese leaders hope the project attracts investment and encourages more young people to stay in the country, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reports that Bhutan faces rising unemployment, falling birth rates and the departure of skilled workers.

Al Jazeera reports that a 2024 royal charter created the special zone. The city aims to draw investors to fields including green technology, tourism, education, financial services and sustainable business, though analysts have questioned whether it can attract enough funding.

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