Prayer Wheels at Bhutan’s National Memorial Chorten

Prayer wheels are cylindrical devotional objects used in Vajrayana Buddhist practice. Each cylinder rotates around a central axle and typically contains a tightly rolled paper scroll printed with repeated mantras. Sacred inscriptions may also appear on the exterior. The best-known is Om mani padme hum, the six-syllable mantra associated with Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, although prayer wheels may contain other mantras.

At the National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, fixed prayer wheels line the circumambulation route. Practitioners walk clockwise around the chorten while turning the wheels in the same direction. Within this Buddhist tradition, rotating a prayer wheel is understood to have the devotional merit of reciting the enclosed mantras.

Some practitioners also carry handheld prayer wheels. These consist of a small cylinder mounted on a wooden or metal handle. A chain or cord ending in a counterweight allows the cylinder to continue rotating with a gentle movement of the wrist.