Thousands of volunteers build 108 stupas in a day in Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City

GELEPHU, Bhutan witnessed an extraordinary event on Sunday as tens of thousands of volunteers came together to construct 108 Buddhist stupas, marking the kingdom's bold initiative for a Mindfulness City. These 15-meter tall towers, symbolic Buddhist monuments, will be strategically aligned over 12km of riverbank near the Indian border, forming the core of Gelephu Mindfulness City.

Over 40,000 volunteers, starting work after midnight, contributed to the monumental task in a single day, treating the endeavor as a form of collective prayer.

As a landlocked nation with a population of under 800,000, Bhutan, nestled between China and India, places great emphasis on 'Gross National Happiness' alongside economic growth. The Mindfulness City project, established by royal decree in 2024 by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, aims to become an economic hub, attracting investment in sustainable business, green technology, education, tourism, and financial services.

The project's significance is heightened by Bhutan's demographic challenges, including a declining birthrate and a migration of young people to find opportunities abroad.

Nima Gyeltshen, a 65-year-old head of the Organisation for Youth Empowerment, expressed hope that the project would be remembered for generations to come. The 108 stupas, each with deep Buddhist significance, will surpass the height of Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza, and the project is estimated to have cost US$21 million. Despite doubts about Bhutan's ability to secure adequate investment, Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, head of a conglomerate, pledged support, becoming a founding member in January.

The city will be linked to India's rail network in Assam, with an international airport slated to open by 2029. Additionally, Bhutan's ambitious cryptocurrency endeavors are intertwined with the project, as the kingdom harnesses surplus hydropower for bitcoin mining, intending to integrate digital assets into the city's development.

Local resident Bishnu Maya Moktang, attending the ceremony, expressed excitement about the future Mindfulness City, hoping her parents would witness its realization, despite their untimely deaths.