The Buddha Dordenma Statue is a 169 feet tall statue of Buddha, built at the foot of the hills in Thimphu. This iconic gold and bronze statue is visible from almost anywhere in Thimphu and is among the popular Bhutan tourist places. It is a gigantic Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the mountains celebrating the 60th anniversary of fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

It houses a total of 1,25,000 smaller Buddha statues inside it each of which, like the Great Buddha Dordenma itself, are made of bronze and gilded in gold. The statue was constructed in 2015 and is considered to be a sacred site by the Buddhists. It is sited amidst the ruins of Kuensel Phodrang, the palace of Sherab Wangchuck, the thirteenth Desi Druk, overlooking the southern approach to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.

Buddha Dordenma Statue

The statue was constructed at a cost of US$47 million by Aerosun Corporation of Nanjing, China, while the total cost of the entire project is well over US$100 million. The interior will accommodate respectively. Names of sponsors are displayed in the meditation hall which forms the throne of the Great Buddha Dordenma.

The Buddha Dordenma is most likely the top tourist attraction in Thimphu city and for good reason. The view here at the Buddha is stunning. Not only that you get to see the Buddha, you get fantastic mountain views that the Buddha is facing. Also, there are some great scenic views of Thimphu Valley and the city below the hillside.

Also, for those of you that have the time, there are some awesome views of the Buddha and the huge courtyard in front of the Buddha from the hillside park behind the Buddha. This hillside park is called, Kuensel Phodrang Nature Park. The park conserves 943.4 acres of forest area that surrounds the Buddha Dordenma statue and houses two public outdoor gymnasiums which opened in 2015.