Gelephu Border Gets Temporary Immigration Post for Project 108

By Best of Bhutan Research Desk · October 18, 2026 · 8 min read

The Gelephu border crossing will have a temporary Indian immigration post for Project 108. India's Ministry of Home Affairs has designated Hatisar in Assam, the town directly across the border from Gelephu, as a temporary authorised immigration post from 24 October to 6 November 2026, Northeast News reported on 16 October. The post is meant for Bhutanese and third-country nationals with valid travel documents who are going to Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) for the event, and it will accept e-visas for that period. Northeast Today reported the same decision, dating the announcement to 15 October.

Project 108 is the royal initiative to raise 108 Jangchub Chortens (stupas), each 15 metres tall, in a single day on 1 November 2026 along the Mau Chhu in Gelephu. We covered the event itself, road closures and parking in our Project 108 explainer. This post covers what is new since then: the border arrangement, the medical plan, accommodation and the latest attendance numbers.

In short: for two weeks, foreign visitors coming from Assam have a direct, legal crossing at Gelephu instead of having to route through Jaigaon–Phuentsholing. You still need a Bhutan visa clearance and a licensed tour operator, Gelephu hotels are full, and it is still not officially confirmed that ordinary tourists can enter the event grounds.

Key Facts at a Glance

What Changes at the Gelephu–Hatisar Crossing

The 3D map below shows the Gelephu border gate, the temporary Hatisar post on the Indian side, and the line of 108 chortens along the Mau Chhu. Use the buttons to switch to the stupa site or to a wider view of all the crossings into Bhutan. GMC has not published coordinates for the individual stupa sites, so their positions along the corridor are indicative.

Gelephu sits on Bhutan's southern border with Assam. Indian and Bhutanese nationals cross there routinely, but Hatisar has not been an authorised Indian immigration post for other nationalities. In practice, that is why travellers from the US, Europe or Southeast Asia who come to Bhutan overland have mostly used the Jaigaon–Phuentsholing crossing in West Bengal. Our guide to travelling to Bhutan from the USA, Singapore and India explains that route.

The new notification is made under Section 4(1) of India's Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, according to Northeast News. It allows entry into and exit from India at Hatisar for the event period only. The post closes on 6 November.

A permanent check post has been planned for some time. Northeast News reports that India first announced an Immigration Check Post at Hatisar during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Bhutan in November 2025, and reaffirmed it when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Bhutan on 16–18 September 2026. The temporary post for Project 108 is the first time it will operate. No date has been given for a permanent post.

What the notification does not settle

• Bhutan-side entry. The notification covers Indian immigration only. Foreign visitors still need a Bhutan visa clearance before travel, a booking with a licensed Bhutanese tour operator, and the Sustainable Development Fee. We have not seen a separate notice from Bhutan's Department of Immigration about processing tourist entries at Gelephu for these dates. Confirm this with your operator.
• The 1 November gate closure. When the Royal Bhutan Police announced the traffic plan on 8 October, BBS reported that the Gelephu border gate would be closed on 1 November. That report predates the Hatisar notification, and it is not clear whether the two have been aligned. Do not plan to cross on 1 November itself.
• Whether tourists can attend. Earlier police guidance said entry would be limited to invited guests, Bhutanese nationals and members of the Bhutan-India Friendship Association. The Hatisar post is aimed at people attending GMC, and The Bhutanese reports that more than 1,000 international visitors are expected, but we have not found an official statement that tourists on a standard visa can enter the stupa sites. Treat attendance as unconfirmed.

Health and Emergency Care

On 16 October BBS reported that the Central Regional Referral Hospital (CRRH) in Gelephu has spent about a month planning medical cover for a gathering of more than 100,000 people. The main points:

• Temporary hospital: a 10-bed facility at the Gyalsung Centre in Tareythang, where about 1,000 international guests and 1,000 Bhutanese support staff are expected to stay. It will have a medical specialist, an emergency physician, three medical officers, nurses and technicians, with ultrasound, X-ray and laboratory services.
• Stupa sites: health services at Chuzaggang will be upgraded, and eight ambulances, each staffed by a doctor, an emergency medical responder and a nurse, will cover the stupa site.
• Spectator galleries (zeereys): two medical tents and two advanced cardiac life support ambulances.
• Staff: about 200 health workers from other districts, due in Gelephu by 27 October.
• Communications: about 20 walkie-talkies from the World Health Organization, in case mobile networks become congested.

The hospital's advice to visitors, as reported by BBS: anyone with an existing medical condition should have a check-up before travelling and carry enough prescribed medicine, and everyone should bring mosquito repellent. Gelephu is in the southern foothills and is noticeably warmer and more humid than Thimphu or Paro, even in November.

Because mobile networks may be overloaded, set up a local SIM before you reach Gelephu and agree on a meeting point with your group. Our Bhutan SIM card guide covers B-Mobile and TashiCell options.

Crowds, Accommodation and Transport

The Bhutanese reported that 89,375 people had registered on the official Project 108 platform as of 9 October, up from the roughly 84,000 BBS reported on 8 October. Thimphu accounts for the most registrations (over 15,600), followed by Sarpang (10,510) and Chukha (over 6,700). Spectator galleries are being built for more than 100,000 people.

Accommodation. Gelephu's hotels are fully booked, some since January. Registrants can stay in hotels, public halls, guesthouses, schools or designated campsites. More than 22 campsites have been set up with room for an estimated 21,437 people, and campsite places can be reserved through the Project 108 website.

Transport. Police expect about 30,000 vehicles. More than 100 public buses and 1,500 taxis will run within the city, and temporary toilets, parking areas and galleries are due to be finished before the event. For the road closures and parking zones, see the traffic section of our earlier post.

Arrive early. Authorities have advised attendees to arrive five to seven days ahead, to spread out the traffic and secure a place to stay.

Programme. The Bhutanese describes a four-day event. The first day is the raising of the 108 chortens with continuous mani recitation. The following days include empowerments and blessings by spiritual masters, the Tashi Rabney consecration, and a mass circumambulation of the chortens. Exact times have not been published.

Volunteers and the Livestream

GMC is still asking for volunteers. BBS reported on 17 October that about 2,000 volunteers from Gelephu, Tsirang, Dagana and Zhemgang have been helping prepare the sites, including a group of pickup-truck drivers from Thimphu who brought their vehicles at no charge. Volunteers are welcome at the sites every day until 1 November, for a few hours or several days, and can call the toll-free number 108.

For anyone who cannot be in Gelephu, the official Project 108 site has a form to register for the livestream on 1 November, and international supporters can register their interest or make an offering there. The GMC contact for the project is [email protected].

An artist's concept of Gelephu Mindfulness City. This is an illustration, not a photograph of the Project 108 site.

What It Means for Travellers

If you are already booked in western or central Bhutan (Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Bumthang) for late October or early November, nothing changes. Expect busier roads south of Wangdue and Tsirang in the last week of October.

If you want to attend Project 108, talk to your tour operator now. Ask three things: whether foreign tourists can enter the stupa sites or galleries, where you would stay (hotels are full, so this may mean a campsite or a town further away), and which day you would enter Bhutan. Build in a buffer of several days, as the authorities advise.

If you plan to enter or leave Bhutan by road from Assam between 24 October and 6 November, the Hatisar post may save a long detour to Jaigaon. Guwahati is the nearest major airport on the Indian side. Confirm with your operator that the Bhutan-side immigration office at Gelephu will process your entry, and avoid 1 November.

If you want to see the stupas without the crowds, visit after the event. The 108 chortens are permanent and will remain in GMC. A later trip could combine them with the Sarbang sacred sites near Gelephu and a look at the planned Golden Mandir. For how each stupa is built, see our interactive Jangchub Chorten model.

Related Planning Guides

• Project 108: Gelephu raises 108 stupas on November 1 — event background, road closures and parking
• Bhutan visa guide — clearance, fees and documents
• Understanding the Sustainable Development Fee
• Phuentsholing 24-hour SDF waiver — the border-town rules, which also list Gelephu
• Gelephu International Airport: airfield contract awarded — how Gelephu will be reached by air in future
• Gelephu destination page

Frequently Asked Questions

Can foreigners cross the border at Gelephu?

From 24 October to 6 November 2026, yes on the Indian side: India has made Hatisar a temporary authorised immigration post for Bhutanese and third-country nationals travelling to Gelephu Mindfulness City. Outside those dates, foreign overland travellers normally use the Jaigaon–Phuentsholing crossing.

Does the Hatisar immigration post accept Indian e-visas?

Yes. Northeast News reports that the post is e-visa enabled for the whole period it operates.

Do I still need a Bhutan visa to cross at Gelephu?

Yes. The Hatisar post only handles Indian immigration. International tourists still need a Bhutan visa clearance, a booking with a licensed tour operator and the Sustainable Development Fee; Indian nationals need an entry permit instead of a visa.

Can tourists attend Project 108 in Gelephu?

Not confirmed. More than 1,000 international visitors are expected, but earlier police guidance limited entry to invited guests, Bhutanese nationals and members of the Bhutan-India Friendship Association. Ask your tour operator before booking.

What medical facilities will be available at Project 108?

A temporary 10-bed hospital at the Gyalsung Centre in Tareythang, eight staffed ambulances at the stupa site, two medical tents and two cardiac ambulances at the spectator galleries, and about 200 extra health workers.

Sources

• Northeast News, MHA designates Assam's Hatisar as temporary immigration post for Bhutan's Project 108, 16 October 2026
• Northeast Today, Assam: Temporary immigration post to be set up at Hatisar for Bhutan-bound travellers, 16 October 2026
• BBS, Gelephu readies emergency care for 100,000 visitors, 16 October 2026
• BBS, Volunteers unite to prepare for 108 chorten event, 17 October 2026
• BBS, More than 30,000 vehicles registered for Gelephu's Project 108, 8 October 2026
• The Bhutanese, Gelephu readies for historic construction of 108 Jangchub Chortens, October 2026
• Gelephu Mindfulness City, Project 108 official site

Details may change as the date approaches. If you have updated information from the GMC Administration, the Department of Immigration or the Royal Bhutan Police, please get in touch.

Want to see the 108 stupas, during the event or after it? Talk to us — we can tell you what is confirmed for visitors and plan a route through southern Bhutan.