Bhutan achieved a historic milestone on November 1, 2026, by setting a Guinness World Record for the most stupas consecrated simultaneously across multiple venues after raising and consecrating 108 Jangchub Chortens in Gelephu Mindfulness City. An official adjudicator presented the record certificate to Gelephu Mindfulness City Governor Dasho Dr. Lotay Tshering during a grand ceremony along the Mau Chhu river in southern Bhutan near the Assam border. The unprecedented undertaking saw each 15-meter-tall chorten constructed in roughly nine hours—starting at 3 a.m. and finishing around noon—before being consecrated simultaneously across 108 individual sites spaced approximately 108 meters apart, forming a 11.7-kilometer spiritual corridor. The project required months of meticulous preparation, including the assembly of prefabricated components and the preparation of sacred relics (zung) by Buddhist monks, alongside coordinated teams of trained workers and thousands of volunteers, including martial artist Jet Li. Conceived by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck under “Project 108” as an offering for global peace, the initiative coincided with the sacred Buddhist festival of Lhabab Duechen and the 18th anniversary of the King’s coronation. The number 108 holds deep spiritual resonance in Buddhism, signifying the 108 volumes of the Kangyur and the mental afflictions practice aims to overcome. Demonstrating strong regional diplomacy, Chorten No. 76 was dedicated to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recognition of the enduring bilateral friendship between Bhutan and India, with King Jigme, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Indian Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju offering joint prayers at the site. As Gelephu Mindfulness City develops, these permanent sacred structures stand as a monumental tribute to collective faith, engineering precision, and enduring spiritual heritage.
