From offering free transport to helping with preparations, people from different walks of life are finding their own ways to contribute to the raising of the 108 Jangchub Chorten. Some are giving their time, others their skills and resources. While the contributions may differ in size, each reflects a shared wish to be part of this historic occasion.
For about a week, villagers in Sarpang and Gelephu have been putting up prayer flags along the roads in preparation for the event. Among them is 75-year-old Norbu Gyelpo from Norbuling village in Serzhong Gewog.
The weather has made the work harder at his age, but he remains determined to be part of the preparations. For him, this is his little contribution to the occasion. It is also a memory he will carry with pride, and a story he can share with his family and friends for years to come.
“At this age, I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of an event initiated by His Majesty The King. As I take part in this voluntary work, I pray that when I die, I may be reborn in this very country,” said Norbu Gyelpo.
In Zeeray along the Mao River, the contribution takes a different form. Volunteers from nearby communities are working together to prepare the grounds from where thousands of people will witness the construction of the stupas. They are picking up pebbles and levelling the ground.
Guman Singh Rana Rai, a resident of Chhuzergang Gewog in Sarpang, said, “We are excited and happy about whatever is happening here. People like us will never be able to travel abroad and witness such developments. And here it is a blessing to have such developments in our country and in our own village. We are very happy to see the developments and also get the opportunity to volunteer and participate in it.”
Jampel Wangmo, a resident of Gelephu, has also been volunteering. “It has been many days since I volunteered to work here in GMC. Today I am volunteering and working as part of the preparations for the construction of 108 stupas. I am very happy to have got this opportunity because in my lifetime, we may not get a similar opportunity,” she said.
People from around 12 gewogs are pitching in wherever they are needed. They clean the grounds, cut grass and load materials. Each task may be small, but together they are readying the site.
Tshering, the Gup of Serzhong Gewog in Sarpang, said, “From the day His Majesty The King announced, people have been excited and have been preparing. They have always been forthcoming whenever they were needed and we called them for their help.”
Help is also arriving on wheels. More than 30 Bolero and truck owners from across the country have volunteered their vehicles. They ferry other volunteers and carry materials to the preparation grounds, from morning till evening.
Prem Prasad Katel, Coordinator of the Vehicle Volunteer Group, said, “They are deployed for transportation of others at preparation sites, some are transporting zung to the chorten sites and transporting other materials to the preparation grounds. They have been working from morning till evening.”
When the 108 stupas rise on 1 November, these volunteers will not simply watch history unfold. They will know they helped make it happen.
Kinley Dem & Sangay Chozom
Edited by Sangay Chezom
