I mentioned in a previous post how much I was inspired by the people of Bhutan…this is another example.

While visiting the National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, Bhutan, we watched hundreds of Bhutanese pray at this sacred temple. This is one of the most popular Stupas in Bhutan, so it is quite common to witness large crowds here throughout the day. People pray while walking in a clockwise direction around the temple…it is called Circumambulation. Most of the people we saw walked in groups, praying together…although some walked/prayed alone. There are also a lot of on-lookers just beyond the temple walkway that enjoy watching those praying.

As I sat nearby and watched people make their way again and again around the Stupa, I found myself waiting for this young lady to re-appear from behind the building as she made another pass. Her beautiful clothing immediately caught my attention, but on each subsequent pass I was able to look a little deeper. She walked alone and never wavered in her intensity, spinning her prayer wheel (also clockwise) while chanting prayers as she circled the temple.

On one pass, I grabbed my camera and took a few images of her. I was hoping to capture her concentration, the spinning of the prayer wheel and the vibrance of her clothes contrasting with the almost pure white walls of the temple. This ended up being one of my favorite images from the trip along with a great memory.