Bhutan has set a Guinness World Record after 108 stupas were consecrated simultaneously in a single day at Gelephu Mindfulness City, in an achievement completed on 1 November 2026. The record, for the most stupas or chortens consecrated simultaneously across multiple venues, was confirmed by a Guinness World Records adjudicator at the ceremony.
The 108 Jangchub Chortens stand along the Mau Chhu river in Gelephu, a town in southern Bhutan near the border with the Indian state of Assam. According to reports from Bhutan, the chortens were raised over nine hours, with work beginning at 3am and concluding around noon, before they were consecrated simultaneously across 108 sites.
Nine hours, 40,000 volunteers
Around 40,000 volunteers took part in the effort, according to Jagran Josh, which cited the Bhutan Broadcasting Service. The project, known as Project 108, was announced by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on 21 February 2026. Guinness required at least 85 newly built stupas to be constructed and consecrated to qualify, and Bhutan passed that threshold with room to spare.
The official certificate was presented to Gelephu Mindfulness City Governor Dasho Dr Lotay Tshering during the ceremony. Each chorten stands 15 metres tall, and together they stretch along an 11.7-kilometre section of the river, according to the Bhutan Mirror.
Why the number 108 matters
The number 108 carries deep significance in Buddhist tradition. It is associated with the 108 volumes of the Kangyur, the translated teachings attributed to the Buddha, and the 108 mental afflictions that Buddhist practice seeks to overcome. The event also coincided with Lhabab Duechen, an important Buddhist occasion, and the 18th anniversary of the King’s coronation.
One chorten, No. 76, was dedicated to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recognition of the friendship between Bhutan and India. Organisers described the coordination required across 108 separate sites as the heart of the record, and noted that an effort on this scale may not be repeated for a very long time. Gelephu Mindfulness City, where the chortens stand, is a planned development in southern Bhutan, and the project was presented as an offering for peace and well-being. For visitors, the row of identical white chortens along the river is now a striking landmark, and for the record books it is a reminder that some of the most impressive feats are collective ones, built by thousands of hands working to the same timetable on the same morning.
