Dochula Pass and the Druk Wangyal Chortens

Dochula Pass lies on the road between Thimphu and Punakha at approximately 10,200 feet (3,100 meters) above sea level. In clear weather, the pass provides panoramic views of the snow-covered eastern Himalayas.

The pass is best known for the 108 Druk Wangyal Chortens, memorial stupas commissioned by Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck and completed in 2004. The chortens are arranged in three tiers of 45, 36, and 27. They honor Bhutanese soldiers who died during the Royal Bhutan Army operation launched in December 2003 to remove camps established in southern Bhutan by three Indian separatist groups: the United Liberation Front of Asom, National Democratic Front of Bodoland, and Kamtapur Liberation Organization.

The number 108 has Buddhist religious significance and does not represent the number of soldiers killed. Construction followed Buddhist ritual and included the placement of sacred images, written prayers, and wooden sokshing, or “life trees,” within the structures.