Black-Necked Crane Spirit (Thrung Thrung Karmo)
In Bhutan the black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) is the soul of monks and nuns. Each October they circle Gangteng Monastery in the Phobjikha Valley three times clockwise — a Buddhist kora. The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso (1683–1706): 'Oh white crane, lend me your wings.' Killing a crane means life imprisonment, the harshest penalty in Bhutan. The November 11 festival marks their return.