Tens of thousands build ۱۰۸ Buddhist stupas for Bhutan ‘mindfulness’ city

Tens of thousands of volunteers have taken part in building ۱۰۸ Buddhist stupas in Bhutan’s new “mindfulness” city, as the Himalayan kingdom embarks on an ambitious project to boost economic growth.

The ۱۵-metre-tall (۵۰ft) stupas, sacred Buddhist monuments found across the Himalayas, were installed on Sunday along ۱۲km (۷.۵ miles) of riverbank near the Indian border, at the site of the future Gelephu Mindfulness City.

More than ۴۰,۰۰۰ volunteers participated in building the structures as “a physical form of prayer made permanent in stone and earth”, after starting work after midnight, officials said. The number ۱۰۸ is sacred in Buddhism, widely practised in Bhutan.

About ۲۰۰,۰۰۰ people attended the ceremony, or nearly a fourth of the population, officials told the AFP news agency.

“I was worried that raising ۱۰۸ stupas in a single day might not succeed,” Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck said in a speech at the ceremony.

“But everything went successfully, and for that, I am truly grateful.”

Bhutanese leaders hope that Gelephu Mindfulness City, conceived by the king and designed by Danish architects, will boost the country’s economy and persuade more young people to stay, attracting investment in sustainable business, green technology, education, tourism and financial services.

Bhutan is facing massive economic challenges, from rising unemployment and falling birth rates to the mass migration of skilled workers.

The city, currently a small town with a population of about ۱۰,۰۰۰, is in southern Bhutan, along the border with India, about ۲۴۰km (۱۵۰ miles) south of Thimphu, the nation’s capital.

The king established the special zone by royal charter in ۲۰۲۴, saying its purpose was to “create a vibrant economic hub”.

The landlocked Himalayan nation, with a population of just under ۸۰۰,۰۰۰ and wedged between China and India, is known for its policy of prioritising “Gross National Happiness” alongside economic growth.

“This occasion will be recorded in our history for generations to come,” said Nima Gyeltshen, ۶۵, head of the Organisation for Youth Empowerment, which helps young Bhutanese find work.

Cryptocurrency ambitions

Analysts have questioned whether Bhutan can attract sufficient investment to realise its vision for the new city.

But Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, head of the ports-to-power conglomerate, joined the project as a founding member in January.

The site is set to be connected to India’s rail network in neighbouring Assam, with an international airport slated to open in ۲۰۲۹.

The project is also linked to Bhutan’s cryptocurrency ambitions, with the kingdom mining Bitcoin using surplus hydropower and pledging to use digital assets to support the city’s development.

Bishnu Maya Moktang, a resident who attended Sunday’s ceremony, said she was excited about the upcoming mindfulness city.

“I hope to live long enough to see it,” Moktang, ۵۶, told AFP.

“My parents died young, and they would never see the city. I feel fortunate.”