Sacred Spaces
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![[photograph]](chorten.jpg)
Chortens as a sacred space
People come from all walks of life and follow different faiths. People in the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan follow different faiths as well including Buddhism and Hinduism. However the majority of the population are Buddhists- a religion that reached Bhutan in the 8th century AD. Buddhists have many varied spaces that are considered sacred. A hermits retreat, a meditating cave for a yogin, a mountain top- all these are sacred space for a Buddhist. Likewise Chortens or stupas are considered sacred. Chortens have their origin in India and date from the time of Lord Buddha. There are eight kinds of Chortens and each of them has a significance attached to the life of the Buddha. Jangchub chorten commemorates Buddha's enlightenment while Lhabab Chorten commemorates the return to earth of Buddha after preaching the doctrines to his mother in heaven. Desheg Chorten commemorates Buddha's birth while Choekhor Chorten it commemorate the first sermon in Deer Park in Varanasi. Chotrul Chorten commemorates the subjugation of the heretics in the forest of Jetavana in Sravasti while Yendum Chorten commemorates the victory over the evil Devadatta. Namgyel Chorten commemorates the destruction of the Devas in Vaisali while Nyendey Chorten is a commemoration of the nirvana of the Buddha. Besides these eight there are other types as well found in Bhutan.Some of the important architectural characteristics of chortens are that the base is always square on which the main structure is built. They contain neither windows nor doors but inside sacred relics are deposited. On the outer walls of the chortens slates of stones are kept with prayers inscribed on them and traditionally it is said that they beckon people to chant prayers and to follow the path of righteousness that results in one attaining nirvana.
by Yashoda Chauhan
