CHORTEN MEMORIAL

It is one of the favourite devotional places of the people of Thimphu. In Tibetan style, the National Memorial Chorten was erected in memory of the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1929-1972), considered the father of modern Bhutan. The Queen Mother had him raised in homage to her son who died suddenly in 1972 of a heart attack. At the entrance, huge red prayer wheels are permanently activated by the pilgrims who circle the chörten throughout the day. Each side of the entrance porch is decorated with three richly carved slates. Those outside represent the three bodhisattvas: of Compassion (Chörten), Knowledge (Manjusri) and Power (Vajrapani). Those placed inside symbolize the Shabdung, Sakyamuni Buddha and Padmasambhava. The interior of the chörten is occupied by a tree-shaped sculpture, which branches out over three floors, each branch ending with a figure from the Buddhist pantheon. All these representations belong to cycles of Tantric teachings of the Nyingmapa Buddhist school. They always seem frightening at first glance, but they are only the terrible aspects that the protective deities take on in order to succeed in subduing the forces of evil. Inside the enclosure, a shrine is dedicated to the late monarch. On the top floor, a terrace allows one to contemplate the whole city. Go there early in the morning when the children come here to perform their daily rites before going to school.