An Anti Curse

Chiang Mai, Thailand's second largest city was said to be cursed once. And in 1991, terrible things happened.

It all started in 1986, when a construction firm proposed building cable railway to the holy mountain, where an ancient temple is located. The monks were very angry. The students gathered a 20 000-signature petition against the project. Construction companies began building modern apartments and hotels around the mountain. But this, according to the local people, will upset the geomantic harmony of the place.

Later, when works for more buildings are starting, the citizens living near and around the mountain realised that there was nothing more they could do. They decided to invoke evil spirits against the developers.

There was a huge demonstration in August 1989. To arouse the spirits, people carried symbols of disharmony, for example broken plates. Women mocked at the holy sutras. At the climax if the ceremony, the sky darkened and there was three dramatic lightning flashes. Three days later, a very strong earthquake hit the city. And the people are sure that the evil spirits has been aroused.

A strong wind uprooted the oldest Bodhi tree at the Suan Dork Temple, a tree considered to be very holy. The country experienced drought and there was not enough rice produced. The property market collapsed. The governor in Chiang Mai promised to stop the building of high-rise building. But, at the end of May, a Lauda Air Boeing crashed, killing 13 VIPs, including the governor and his wife. Four days later, the abbot of one of Chiang Mai’s most important Buddhist temples died.

Bringing the evil spirit under control was the only way to stop them. Extra-strong anti-curse is needed to drive the powerful spirit away. At dawn on 8 June 1991, women arrived at the main gate of the city with trays of offerings. It consisted of fish, raw meat, bamboo shoots, fruits, sugar cane lay out on banana leaves. The people invited the spirits to a feast and asked them to leave the city. 108 monks also chanted a surtra to break the spirit’s power.

When the monks finished their chants, a light rain fell. When offerings were taken to the river to be thrown in, the sky opened and beams of sun rays reached the city. It was a sign that the spirits are gone.

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