Resource #: 19444 (URL for reference)
Collections: 2001 Upper Tibet Antiquities Expedition (UTAE)
Description:
The uniquely constructed bu mo lha khang (Femaleﾒs Temple), which is also known as dpon mo lha khang (Female Leaderﾒs Temple) and gnam raﾒi dpon lha khang (B-87), after the locale. It consists of a single edifice (7.4 m x 7.2 m x 5.8 m maximum height) meticulously constructed of specially hardened bluish earthen bricks containing a copious gravel matrix, which were cemented together using a white clay-based mortar. This kind of construction has not been discovered to date anywhere else in Upper Tibet. According to one local tradition, na ro bon chung (or variously a bdud demon) and gling ge sar decided to build a temple together. They laid the foundation using black stones (actually gray and brown sandstone), and then decided to hold a horserace to determine how the edifice should be finished. If ge sar prevailed he was to complete the temple in white and if na ro bon chung won he would complete it in black. gling ge sar proved triumphant so bu mo lha khang was finished in white. Another local legend has it that three woman leaders (dpon mo) in ancient times lived inside a small lake called mtsho ka ba in the wintertime. It is claimed that one can occasionally see smoke coming from underneath the water and that this lake never freezes in the winter, a legacy of the womenﾒs occupation. During the remainder of the year the three mistresses lived in bu mo lha khang. One day however, the roof caved in and the three women were killed and buried inside. There is said to be a hollow underneath the floor of the structure where their remains are interred. These folktales clearly hint at the archaic, probably funerary identity of bu mo lha khang. This is borne out by its unusual design features, the lack of Buddhist constructions, and what appear to be the superstructures of tombs located north and east of the edifice.Associated Resources
Resource type: Image
Photographer: John Bellezza
Recording Note:
dge rgyas