Bhutan - Buddhism, Gantay Gompa's Chortan

Before climbing the hill to the Gantay Gompa and the little settlement that preceeds, it one is met by the chorten above. A chorten is a religious structure, also known as a stupa, that usually contains scared relics. They dot the landscape and hold an emotional significance.

The preceeding is a quote about chortens from the queen's book A PORTRAIT OF BHUTAN.

They are built for a variety of reasons - to honour a great king, saint or lama, to commemorate a departed soul, to ward off evil spirits or danger ( which is why they are often built on mountain passes or steep cliffs ) or to mark an important event or a great victory. If one walks past a chorten, one must do so keeping it on one's right, and walk round it in a clockwise direction - to do otherwise invites bad luck!