FESTIVALS OF BHUTAN

 

TENTATIVE FESTIVAL DATES FOR 2008

 

Sl. #	FESTIVAL	PLACE	DATES
1	PUNAKHA DROMCHE	PUNAKHA	FEB 11- FEB 15
2	CHORTEN KORA	TRASHIYANGTSE	FEB 21 – MAR 7
3	GOMKORA	TRASHIGANG	MAR 14  – MAR 16
4	PARO TSHECHU	PARO	MAR 17 –MAR 21
5	CHHUKHA TSHECHU	CHHUKHA	MAR 19   – MAR 21
6	URA YAKCHOE (Very Tentative; Possible of last minute changes)	BUMTHANG	APRIL 16 – APRIL 20
7	NIMALUNG TSHECHU	BUMTHANG	JUL 10 – JUL 12
8	KURJEY TSHECHU	BUMTHANG	JULY 12
9	THIMPHU DRUPCHEN	THIMPHU	OCT 4  – OCT 8
10	WANGDI TSHECHU	WANGDI PHODRANG	OCT 7  – OCT 9
11	THIMPHU TSHECHU	THIMPHU	OCT 9 – OCT 11
12	TAMSHINGPHALA CHOEPA	BUMTHANG	OCT 8 – OCT 10
13	TANGBI MANI	BUMTHANG	OCT 13 – OCT 15
14	JAMBAY LAKHANG DRUP	BUMTHANG	NOV 12 – NOV 16
15	PRAKHAR DUCHHOED	BUMTHANG	NOV 13 – NOV 15
16	MONGAR TSHECHU	MONGAR	DEC 4 – DEC 7
17	PEMAGATSEL TSHECHU	PEMAGATSEL	DEC 4 – DEC 7
18	TRASHIGANG TSHECHU	TRASHIGANG	DEC 5 – DEC 8
19	NALAKHAR TSHECHU	BUMTHANG	DEC 12 – DEC 14
20	TRONGSA TSHECHU	TRONGSA	JAN 5 – JAN 7 (2009)
21	LHUNTSE TSHECHU	LHUNTSE	JAN 5 – JAN 7 (2009)

DAY ONE

Zhabdro - Menjong Druk Youel Gyelkhab

The origin of the dance of Peling Gingsum (three kinds of Ging with sticks, swords, and drums)

The great ‘Treasure-Discoverer’ Pema Lingpa established this dance.

Pema Linpa is believed to have watched the three kinds of ‘Ging’, all emanations of Guru Rinpoche, when he went to the Zangdopelri, the abode of Guru Rinpoche.

The deep teachings of these dances appeared to him and explained how to subdue the demons, Nyulema, by magic. 

Any kind of demons that create obstacles to the Buddhist doctrine, human or non-human, through nefarious powers and bad thoughts are called Jyungpo Nyulema.
                 

Zhabdro - Yar Yar Ri Sum Zom Sa

Zhabdro – Tshe Nyon Ley Ki Koet Di

Great saint Jetsoen Milarepa (1040-1123) was meditating in a hermitage called Nyishangkurtaon the border between Nepal and Tibet, when he heard a man shout and a dog bark. He went out of his cave and saw a red stag on the run; the stag, trembling with fear, appeared in his presence. Because of this great compassion, Milarepa sang a religious song, which soothed the temper and passion of the dog and made the stag forget his fears and lie down next to milarepa.
This dance is generally performed like a two –part play held over two days. The first part of this dance is somewhat comical .The second part has a more serious and religious tone.

 

Elaborate and heavy woolen clothes (traditional felt boots, long black skirt, yellow shirt, brown coat) sword and a circular head dress. One dancer is holding a traditional guitar called Dramnyen. The origin of the Dramnyen cham goes back to the 17th century when Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal unified Bhutan by crushing all external and internal enemies. The guitar dance was introduced to celebrate the happy state of the country under Zhabdrung’s enlightened rule.

 DAY TWO

Dancers wear large black hat, felt boots, colourful brocade long dress. No masks. The Black Hat Dancers assume the appearance of yogis who have the power of talking and recreating life. They subdue and liberate beings that cannot be led by piece. They accomplish this by manifesting external anger while being completely at peace within.

After destroying the spiteful enemies who persecute the beings and Buddhism, the Black Hat dancers beat their great drums. The sound of the drums represents the religion, because Buddhism has no visible form.

Knee length yellow skirts, animal masks, sword in the right hand. The dance portrays King Norzang and his armed companions during a holy war.

 

The actors are two princes, two princesses, an old couple and the clowns. The two princes leave for war and the two princesses are left in the care of the old woman. As soon as they depart, the clowns try to flirt with the princesses and corrupt the old woman. When the princes return from the battle, they are scandalized by the behaviour of the princesses and cut off their noses as punishment.

Dancers wear Knee-length yellow skirts, different animal masks and drums. Ani Chorten Zangmo, the descendent of Pemalingpa introduced this dance. It is believed that while meditating in a cave in Dramitse, was one night transported to the heavenly realms of the gods where she witnessed the attendants of Guru Rimpoche at dance with a drum in their left hand and a drum-stick in their right and performed a majestic dance which she later introduced in Dramitse

Great saint Jetsoen Milarepa (1040-1123) was meditating in a hermitage called Nyishangkurtaon the border between Nepal and Tibet, when he heard a man shout and a dog bark. He went out of his cave and saw a red stag on the run; the stag, trembling with fear, appeared in his presence. Because of this great compassion, Milarepa sang a religious song, which soothed the temper and passion of the dog and made the stag forget his fears and lie down next to milarepa.

This dance is generally performed like a two –part play held over two days. The first part of this dance is somewhat comical .The second part has a more serious and religious tone.

DAY THREE

 

1. Zhabdro-Lu Di Gang Da Gang Gi Lu
2. Durdag Cham (Dance of the Lords of the Cremation Grounds) Dancers wear white short skirts, white boots, and white skull masks. On the external edges of a symbolic mandala where the assembly of the sacred tantric deities reside, there are eight large cremation grounds. Living in these cremation grounds are the Lords of the Cremation Grounds, the protectors of religion (Chhokyong) These Lords render the demon powerless, offer them to the gods of the mandala and reduce them to mere name.

3. Tung Ngam Cham (Dance of Terrifying Dieties) Dancers wear beautiful brocade dresses, boots and terrifying masks. A sacrificial murder is performed. First the dancers representing the gods try to enclose the evil spirits in a circle and then into a triangle box. This dance demonstrates the passage of men and the demi-gods (asuras) who become enemies of Buddhism.

4. Raksha Gocham
5. Zhabdro-Lha Shing Joen Pi Tshey Ley
6. Raksha Mang Cham (Dance of the Rakshas and the Judgment of the Dead) When all beings die, they wander in the ‘intermediated state’ (Bardo) waiting to be led by their merits to the ultimate goal (Nirvana). Beings who in their lifetime had no fervent adoration for the Buddhist doctrines are disillusioned and cannot find passage into the paradise. They do not recognize the Buddha and are frightened.  The dance contains more elements of drama than dance and lasts approximately two hours. First there is the dance of the Rakshas and the lord of death himself appears symbolized by huge puppet holding a mirror where his judgment begins.

7. Zhabdro-Ten Del Lek So

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY FOUR

Dancers wear knee length yellow skirt and golden crown. The maskless dancers hold bells and drums. It was at Zangdopelri that Pema Lingpa witnessed Guru Rinpoche, the lord who leads the beings of the three worlds, sits among his assistants in the center of a limitless mandala of rainbows within this mandala, a congregation of the sages, the tutelary deities, the heroes (pawos) and the heroines (Khandom pamo) dance in various emanations of peaceful and terrifying deities. Their function is to lead the dead out of this world and into the presence of Ugyen Rimpoche.

Dancers wear white short skirts, white boots, and white skull masks. On the external edges of a symbolic mandala where the assembly of the sacred tantric deities reside, there are eight large cremation grounds. Living in these cremation grounds are the Lords of the Cremation Grounds, the protectors of religion (Chhokyong) These Lords render the demon powerless, offer them to the gods of the mandala and reduce them to mere name.

 

The Tsholing wears long colorful dresses and terrifying masks. The Ging wear a replica of a tiger skin, attractive masks with a flag on top and carry drums. On the occasion of the consecration of the Samye Monestery in Tibet, Guru Rimpoche initiated this dance to show the people of Tibet his place, the Zangdopelri. This dance which brings blessings is performed to remove the obstacles to the Doctrine as well as bring happiness to all sentient beings.

This dance shows the eight different forms that Guru Rimpoche assumed in order to bring different beings into the Buddhist fold.

Guru Tshokye Dorje(Diamond thunderbolt born from the lake)
Guru Shakya Senge(The lion of the Shakya Clan)
Guru Loden Chogsey(Guru who aspires for the supreme knowledge)
Guru Padmasambhava (Lotus Born)
Guru Pema Gyalpo (Lotus-King)
Guru Nyima Ozer (Sunbeam)
Guru Sengye Dradok (The one who speaks with a lion voice)
Guru Dorje Drakpo (Terrifying Thunderbolt) and
Guru Dorje Drolo (Thunderbolt)

The fairy standing on the right of the Guru is Manadarava, the lady of Wisdom. Ugyen Rimpoche made her his own emanation for the benefit of the beings to be converted in the kingdom of Zahor. The fairy to the left is Yeshey Tshogyal. She is a representation of the Goddess of Knowledge, mother of all Buddhas. The sixteen fairies (Rigmachudrug) are emanations of the same person. They are goddesses of offerings.

 

The sixteen fairies are sixteen emanations of the same person. They are goddesses of offerings who are divided into four categories. Each category is again divided into four.

This dance brings total happiness. People believe in the manifestations of Ugyen Rimpoche during the dance. A changeless faith in the glorious deeds of Ugyen Rimpoche’s mind, speech and body is born to them.

 

 

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