The Legend of Boudhanath Stupa
The great Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu is one of the largest spherical stupas in the world. Legend tells that after the Buddha's parinirvana, a widow named Samvari requested permission from King Dharmadeva to build a stupa. When the king refused, she asked for as much land as could be covered by a buffalo hide. The king agreed, and Samvari cut the hide into a single long, thin strip, encircling a vast area. The king recognized her wisdom and granted the land. After Samvari died, her four sons completed the massive stupa. Another tradition holds that the bodies of the four sons are buried at t