 | |
| Chorten Kora - Trashiyangtse, Bhutan (2015) |
Long ago, there was a fierce demon that terrorized the Trashi Yangtsi valley. Many locals and travelers were killed and , no matter what magic or prayers the local lamas and people did, they could not appease or destroy the demon. One day, they consulted an astrologer who predicted the birth of a female whose sacrifice would subdue the demon. But at the appointed time and place, the only child that could be found was the daughter of the king of Arunachal Pradesh of India. The locals implored the king for his daughter, but he refused and for years the demon continued to take his toll. When it came time for the daughter to marry, the king held a competition to find the most able suitor, which resulted in a horse race that a Bhutanese man won. He had made a supreme effort to win the race and asked for the princess to appease the demon, but again the king refused. The suitor explained his story to the princess who agreed to sacrifice herself. To prevent further suffering, she begged her father to let her go. Finally, the King relented and she went into a spiritual retreat while the locals of Trashiyangtse built a giant stupa. Artisans came from Nepal with a model of Boudhanath and prepared a special room inside the dome. When the stupa was ready, the princess was bricked into the dome with her possessions, and so the demon was subdued and the people of Trashiyangtse have lived peacefully ever since.
