Ven Lama Shedrup blessing the mantras in the neck: in this case, the mantras are sealed in glass jars, which are pushed into the wet concrete as it is poured.
The doors have been fitted. The lamas made them in another building on the property (as well as the rings). A mould was made for the sides, the face they did by carving fresh mortar is it was going off.
The rings going on. Both the male (outer) and female (inner) rings were cast with an oversize hole in the middle; so after a few are slid down the pole and centred, a slurry of cement and water is poured around the metal pole to hold the rings in position.
The two lamas preparing to "stuff" the bumpas. The bumpa (vase section) contains a great deal. First material is fitted all around the inside to make it more like a room (shrine). Then succesive layers of blessed objects of many sorts are fitted.
This is a view through the door. At present everything is more or less stuffed in. Later the lamas plan to line the walls with copper, and build a more structured shrine.
The Stupa Information Page..... Index of construction pages