Bhutan Raises 108 Stupas in Nine Hours

About 40,000 volunteers raised 108 Buddhist stupas, each 15 meters tall and spaced 108 meters apart, along a roughly 12-kilometer stretch of the Mau Chhu River in Gelephu, Bhutan, on November 1, 2026. The Jangchub Chortens mark the planned Gelephu Mindfulness City. Volunteers worked simultaneously at designated sites from about 3 a.m. to noon while thousands chanted a six-syllable Buddhist mantra. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck addressed the crowd after completion. Union minister Kiren Rijiju represented India and unveiled a plaque with the king dedicating one stupa to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Timing and numbering differ across accounts. Rijiju’s post described construction in six hours starting after midnight; NDTV put the ceremony from 2 a.m. to noon; The Hindu and ua.news report 3 a.m. to noon. NDTV, ua.news, and The Hindu’s headline identify the Modi dedication as Stupa No. 76, which Bhutanese officials linked to his age; The Hindu’s article by Rahul Karmakar says ceremonial focus was on Chorten No. 79 while No. 76 was dedicated to Modi. The king said he had doubted the feat could succeed, that people from every walk of life and generation made it possible, and that Modi and the Indian government have been enormously supportive of Bhutan and Gelephu Mindfulness City. Circumambulation and consecration prayers were planned over the following days.