Chorten Kora Festival - A legendry festival to commemorate the ritual sacrifice made by an 8-year old Dakini girl

Modelled after Boudhnath stupa in Nepal, Chorten Kora lies in Trashiayangtse, the easternmost district of Bhutan, at an altitude of 1,750m. Built over a period of 12 years around 1740 by Lama Ngawang Loday, the Chorten is located about 2-hour drive from Trashigang following the banks of Dangme Chhu and Kholung Chhu rivers.  The Chorten is said to be built so that local pilgrims could visit the temple in Trashiyangtse instead of going all the way to Nepal. Legends also state that an 8-year Dakini girl from Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India agreed to be buried alive inside the Chorten as an offering from Dakpa people of Tawang. For this reason, a ritual known as Dakpa Kora is organized every year where hundreds of people from Arunachal Pradesh known as Dakpas make it to Chorten Kora to circumbulate. Dakpas come for circumambulation on the 15th day of the 1st month (February) while Bhutanese celebrate their Kora (circular journey) on the 30th of the 1st Bhutanese month (March).