On 21 February 2026 — His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck's birth anniversary — Bhutan announced one of the most ambitious spiritual undertakings in its modern history: Project 108. The plan is to raise 108 Jangchub Chortens, stupas of enlightenment, each 15 metres tall, in a single coordinated day at Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) in southern Bhutan, where the Himalayas meet the vast Indo-Gangetic plains.
The 108 chortens will stand in a single file along the Mau Khola, each one spaced exactly 108 metres from the next — a number sacred in Buddhist tradition, echoed in the beads of a mala. Laid out this way, the project's organisers describe the finished line as "a line of prayer across the land." Each chorten will hold prayers, blessings, and sacred texts within its core, built as places where families can find solace and shared benevolence for generations to come.
The structures of all 108 chortens are set to be completed together on 1 November 2026 — an undertaking expected to call on tens of thousands of trained volunteers working in coordinated teams across every site at once. It continues in the Bhutanese tradition of zhapto, voluntary communal work offered without expectation of return. Earlier phases of the wider GMC volunteer effort have already drawn thousands of participants — around 2,000 in the first phase, roughly 7,000 in the second, and over 8,000 registered for the third — with His Majesty The King himself joining more than 7,000 volunteers on-site.
So who has been doing the building? Mostly Bhutan itself. Residents of Gelephu and surrounding communities have been joined by Gyalsups and Desuups (Bhutan's national service graduates), members of parliament, government agencies, DHI and its companies, the Bhutan Red Cross, judiciary officials, NGOs, and community groups travelling in from across the country. As of now, hands-on construction volunteering has been organized primarily for Bhutanese citizens and national service participants — so if you're picturing joining a work crew for a day, that isn't yet an open door for international visitors, and we'd rather tell you that plainly than promise something that isn't there.
If you feel moved to contribute to one of the 108, reach out to us directly at info@worldtourplan.com or +975 17789278 and we'll help connect you with the project team — or contact them yourself at 108@gmc.bt or +975 77117708, with more detail at 108stupas.bt.
Beyond sponsorship, there's a simpler, more immediate way to be part of this moment: witness it. Gelephu Mindfulness City is a real place you can visit, and watching a project of this scale and spiritual weight take shape — 108 stupas rising together along the Mau Khola — is the kind of thing very few travelers will ever see in their lifetime. If a visit to Gelephu Mindfulness City is something you'd like woven into your Bhutan itinerary, get in touch with us and we'll help you plan a trip around it.