The monastic festivals provide the
average Ladakhi with a spice of life, as no other festival can match them in
religious and entertainment value. Monastic festivals are held to
commemorate the founding of a monastery, the birthday of its patron saint,
or major events in the evolution of Tibetan Buddhism. Thousands of people
turn out in their colourful best, making every festival a carnival of
colours.
EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF 'CHHAMS' Chhams,
a highly choreographed sacred dance drama, is the core of every monastic
festival. A select group of resident lamas, in brightly patterned brocade
robes, perform these dances in the courtyard of the monastery. All of them
wear masks which represent various divinities found in the 'Gon Khang' - the
room dedicated to the guardian divinities - in every major monastery. Some
may even represent characters from historical episodes of Tibetan fables.
Holding ritual objects in their hands, the lamas step around the
central flagpole of the monastic courtyard in solemn dance and mime,
accompanied by the clash of cymbals, the boom of drums, the melodious sound
of the 'Shawm', and the deep resonance of twelve-foot horns.
The beginning: Every dance begins with 'Ser Kyem' - an invocation -
by offerings of sacred water and food, to the gods and the guardians of the
four quarters to witness the 'Chhams'.
The interludes:
In between the more sombre dances, relief is provided by performers in the
guise of skeletons, who perform comic and acrobatic feats.
And at last, the end of evil: As the 'Chhams' approaches climax, the
votive offering - a grotesque human figure made of dough - is ritually
dismembered. This is traditionally done by 'Jha Nak', leader of the Black
Hat dancers. He then scatters the pieces in the four cardinal directions.
This act has many interpretations: cleansing of the soul; the dissolution of
the human body after death; or a re-enactment of the assassination of the
Tibetan apostate king, Land-dar-ma, by a Buddhist monk in 842 AD.
Of this life and the next: The rites and ceremonies of the
festival are conducted by the 'Rimpoche', or Head Lama incarnate, of the
monastery. He occupies a high throne in the centre of the veranda, at one
side of the rectangular courtyard. Other Lamas sit on either side of the
throne, on carpet-covered straw mattresses, according to their hierarchy.
Under the Rimpoche's direction, the Lamas recite mantras
associated with various episodes of 'Chhams', thus creating the right
ambience for devotees to imbibe the religious significance of the dances.
The appearance of the masked dancers serves to familiarise the devotees with
the kind of divinities they are to encounter during the 49-day 'Bardo' (or
transit) period, between death and rebirth in one of the six forms of
existence, depending upon one's Karma (deeds).
CALANDER ( 2006-2008)
| FESTIVALS |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
| Spituk Gustor (Spituk Gompa, near Leh) |
Jan 27, 28 |
Jan 17, 18 |
Jan 6,7 |
| Dosmoche Leh, Likir (Likir Gompa) & Diskit (Nubra Valley) |
Feb 26, 27 |
Feb 15, 16 |
Feb 4,5 |
| Stok Guru Tse-Chu (Stok Gompa) |
March 8, 9 |
Feb 25, 26 |
Feb 15, 16 |
| Matho Nagrang (Matho Gompa) |
March 14, 15 |
March 3, 4 |
Feb 20, 21 |
| Buddha Purnima Saka Dawa (All over Ladakh) |
June 11 |
May 31 |
June 18 |
| Hemis Tse-Chu (Hemis Gompa) |
Jul 6. 7 |
June 25, 26 |
July 12, 13 |
| Yuru Kabgyat (Lamayuru Gompa) |
Jul 12, 13 |
Jul 2, 3 |
July 20, 21 |
| Phyang Tsedup (Phyang Gompa, near Leh) |
Jul 27, 28 |
Jul 16, 17 |
Aug 3, 4 |
| Tak Tok Tse-Chu (Dakthok Gompa, near Hemis) |
Aug 4, 5 |
Jul 24, 25 |
Aug 11, 12 |
| SOURCE: J & K Tourism |
|
|
|
Powered
By Web Design India :: Member
Advertising in India
Indian
Festivals 2006/07
