Kumbum Stupa

The Kumbum Stupa is one of the most famous and exquisitely built and decorated temples in Tibet. ‘Kumbum’ means ‘Place of a thousand Images’. The Kumbum Stupa is built as a sacred Mandala – a concentric and very detailed design that symbolizes the awakened body, mind and energy of the Buddha, and is used in Tibetan visualization practice on the path to awakening. Buddhist Stupas are traditionally built in 9 levels. The 9 levels of the Kumbum Stupa form terraced stories on the Stupa’s exterior that are ceremonially visited by pilgrims as they circumambulate each level. The Stupa houses 108 chapels across the 9 levels together with 15th century wall paintings that depict the Tantric spiritual path in its entirety.