India-Origin Buddha Relics to Be Enshrined in 108 Chortens in Bhutan

Syllabus: GS1/Culture

Context

• India-origin Buddhist relics will be enshrined in 108 Jangchub Chortens (stupas of enlightenment) that are being constructed under Project 108.

About Zung and Jangchub Chorten

• The relics form part of the ‘zung’, the living embodiment of the Buddha’s enlightened body, speech and mind.
  • The sacred components of the zung include thangkhas (traditional Tibetan Buddhist paintings on cotton or silk fabric), statues, precious stones, rolled mantra scrolls, or dharanis, and relics of enlightened beings.
• The Chorten is the Tibetan/Bhutanese term for a ‘stupa’. It is a Buddhist sacred monument that enshrines relics, scriptures or other consecrated objects.
  • The jangchub chorten commemorates the Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment and symbolises the triumph of wisdom over ignorance. 
  • Once consecrated, a chorten is rendered equivalent to the living Buddha.

What is Project 108?

• Location: Along the Mau Chhu River in Gelephu, Bhutan.
• Objective: To establish a spiritual foundation for the proposed Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), envisioned as a global economic hub integrating spirituality, sustainability and economic development.
• Design: Each chorten will be approximately 15 metres tall, with 108 metres between successive structures.
• Significance of 108: In some Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Kangyur (principal collection of sacred Buddhist scriptures) is arranged in 108 volumes.
  • In the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition, 108 symbolises spiritual completeness, cosmic balance, and the purification of karma.

About Buddhist Stupas

• A stupa is a Buddhist architectural structure built to preserve the relics of the Buddha or other enlightened beings and commemorate important events in Buddhism.
• Architectural features: A traditional stupa consists of five major elements:
  • Anda (Dome): The hemispherical structure representing the cosmic egg and the universe.
  • Harmika: A square railing-like structure above the dome, symbolising the abode of the gods.
  • Yashti: A central pillar rising above the harmika, representing the cosmic axis.
  • Chhatra: Umbrella-like discs placed on the pillar, symbolising spiritual sovereignty and protection.
  • Medhi: A raised circular platform or terrace supporting the dome, often used by devotees for circumambulation.
• Religious significance: Stupas symbolise the Buddha’s enlightened mind and teachings. Devotees traditionally perform Pradakshina (clockwise circumambulation) around them as an act of reverence.
• Evolution: Stupa architecture spread across Asia and evolved into different regional forms, including Tibetan Chortens, Sri Lankan Dagobas and East Asian pagodas.

Source: TH