How tall is the Buddha Dordenma?

51.5 metres (169 feet). It is one of the largest seated Buddha statues in the world, cast from bronze and gold-plated. The statue depicts Shakyamuni Buddha in the bhumisparsha mudra (the earth-touching gesture).

What are the 125,000 smaller Buddhas?

Inside the statue's interior chamber are 125,000 smaller bronze Buddha statues, each gold-plated: 100,000 statues at 8 inches and 25,000 statues at 12 inches. They were commissioned and donated by devotees from across the Buddhist world and form one of the largest cumulative offerings of Buddhist art in the world.

Is the Buddha Dordenma an active religious site?

Yes — the throne on which the statue sits houses meditation halls and the principal chapel of the Buddha Dordenma project. Daily prayers are held by the resident monastic community. International visitors are welcome to visit the interior chamber and the meditation halls; the protocol is quieter than at the dzongs.

Most visitors combine the Buddha Dordenma with the takin preserve (the national-animal sanctuary, 15 minutes' drive away) and the National Memorial Chorten (in central Thimphu) as a half-day southern-Thimphu circuit. The Buddha Dordenma's viewpoint is also a notable golden-hour photographic stop on the descent back to central Thimphu.

Buddha Dordenma — the 51.5-metre gold-plated seated Buddha on the Kuensel Phodrang ridge above Thimphu

The 51.5-metre seated Buddha above the capital

Buddha Dordenma — the great gold-plated Shakyamuni, fulfilling an 8th-century prophecy of Guru Rinpoche.

The Buddha Dordenma sits at 2,500 metres on the Kuensel Phodrang ridge overlooking Thimphu — a 51.5-metre seated bronze Buddha Shakyamuni, gold-plated, completed and consecrated in 2015. The statue is one of the largest seated Buddhas in the world and houses 125,000 smaller Buddha statues within its interior chamber. The project was conceived to fulfil an 8th-century prophecy of Guru Rinpoche.

Location: Kuensel Phodrang ridge, southern Thimphu, Thimphu
Elevation: 2,500 m
Founded: 2015
Founder: Initiated under His Majesty the 4th King; consecrated 2015 under His Holiness Je Khenpo
Also known as: Buddha Dordenma Statue · Great Buddha Dordenma · Buddha Point

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The 8th-century prophecy

The Bhutanese tradition holds that Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) prophesied in the 8th century that a great Buddha statue would arise in this region to confer blessings, peace, and happiness across the Himalayan world. The prophecy was recorded in the terma teachings revealed by subsequent tertons. The Buddha Dordenma project was initiated under His Majesty the 4th King and conceived to fulfil this prophecy — both as a religious offering for the country and as the principal modern Buddhist monument of the Himalaya.

The construction and the 125,000 Buddhas

The statue is 51.5 metres (169 feet) tall, cast from bronze and plated in gold. The statue's interior chamber — accessible to visitors — houses 125,000 smaller Buddha statues, each made of bronze and gold-plated: 100,000 statues at 8 inches and 25,000 statues at 12 inches. The principal Buddha and the smaller statues together represent one of the largest cumulative offerings of Buddhist art in the world. The construction took approximately ten years from groundbreaking to consecration in 2015; the statue was consecrated by His Holiness the Je Khenpo in a ceremony attended by His Majesty the 5th King.

The Kuensel Phodrang ridge and the throne

The statue sits on the Kuensel Phodrang ridge at 2,500 metres, overlooking the Thimphu valley from the south. The throne on which the statue sits is itself a three-storey building — housing meditation halls, a museum gallery, and the principal chapel of the Buddha Dordenma project. Around the statue, a parkland of pine and cedar has been planted as part of the broader Kuensel Phodrang Nature Park. The site has become one of the principal viewpoints for the Thimphu valley — the photographic register at golden hour is exceptional.

Visiting

Getting there
The Buddha Dordenma is approximately 20 minutes by road from central Thimphu — south of the city, up the Kuensel Phodrang ridge. The road climbs through pine forest; the final approach gives the principal photographic register of the statue against the sky. Most visitors combine the Buddha Dordenma with the takin preserve (the national-animal sanctuary) and the National Memorial Chorten as a half-day southern-Thimphu circuit.
Opening hours
The Buddha Dordenma site is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The interior chamber (with the 125,000 smaller Buddhas) is open to visitors with a guide. Allow 60–90 minutes for the visit including the interior chamber and the surrounding parkland.
Dress and protocol
Smart casual covering shoulders and knees. Hats and shoes removed inside the interior chamber. Photography is permitted on the exterior and in the parkland; photography of the interior 125,000-Buddha chamber is permitted but flash is discouraged. The interior is held to be a meditation space; the protocol tradition is quieter than at the dzongs.
Best time to visit
Late afternoon (an hour before sunset) catches the golden-hour light on the gilded statue and the broad view across the Thimphu valley as the lights come on. Mornings give the cooler light and the southern panorama. October through February is the clear-sky window. June through August is monsoon-affected and the statue is often cloud-wrapped.

Frequently asked

How tall is the Buddha Dordenma?: 51.5 metres (169 feet). It is one of the largest seated Buddha statues in the world, cast from bronze and gold-plated. The statue depicts Shakyamuni Buddha in the bhumisparsha mudra (the earth-touching gesture).
What are the 125,000 smaller Buddhas?: Inside the statue's interior chamber are 125,000 smaller bronze Buddha statues, each gold-plated: 100,000 statues at 8 inches and 25,000 statues at 12 inches. They were commissioned and donated by devotees from across the Buddhist world and form one of the largest cumulative offerings of Buddhist art in the world.
Why was the Buddha Dordenma built?: To fulfil an 8th-century prophecy of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) that a great Buddha statue would arise in this region to confer blessings, peace, and happiness across the Himalayan world. The project was initiated under His Majesty the 4th King and consecrated in 2015 under His Holiness the Je Khenpo.
Is the Buddha Dordenma an active religious site?: Yes — the throne on which the statue sits houses meditation halls and the principal chapel of the Buddha Dordenma project. Daily prayers are held by the resident monastic community. International visitors are welcome to visit the interior chamber and the meditation halls; the protocol is quieter than at the dzongs.
What else is nearby?: Most visitors combine the Buddha Dordenma with the takin preserve (the national-animal sanctuary, 15 minutes' drive away) and the National Memorial Chorten (in central Thimphu) as a half-day southern-Thimphu circuit. The Buddha Dordenma's viewpoint is also a notable golden-hour photographic stop on the descent back to central Thimphu.

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Preparing

Buddha Dordenma — the great gold-plated Shakyamuni, fulfilling an 8th-century prophecy of Guru Rinpoche.

The 8th-century prophecy

The construction and the 125,000 Buddhas

The Kuensel Phodrang ridge and the throne

The 8th-century prophecy

The construction and the 125,000 Buddhas

The Kuensel Phodrang ridge and the throne

Getting there

Opening hours

Dress and protocol

Best time to visit

Begin when you're ready.

The 8th-century prophecy

The construction and the 125,000 Buddhas

The Kuensel Phodrang ridge and the throne

Getting there

Opening hours

Dress and protocol

Best time to visit

Begin when you're ready.