Memorial Chorten in Thimphu

The Memorial Chorten was built in 1974 in memory of the Third King, H M Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, who died in 1972. There are no mortal remains of the King inside the chorten and only a photograph draped in ceremonial scarves on the ground floor serves as a discreet reminder that the chorten was built to fulfil one of his wishes. The late King had, in fact, decided to put into tangible form the three traditional pillars of Buddhism, the Word, Body and Mind of Buddha. He had the Commentaries of Buddha, the Tanjur, transcribed in letters of gold to represent the Word of Buddha and had 1,000 statues made to represent the Body of Buddha, but he died before he could complete the Mind of Buddha, in the form of a chorten.