Associated with delivering people from sin and to ward off evil spirits, this festival is important for the people of Bhutan, discovers Avril-Ann Braganza
One of the most spectacular and unique festivals in Bhutan, the Jambay Lhakhang Festival will be held from the 6th-8th of November, this year. It is celebrated by the community of Bumthang valley, at Jambay Lhakhang, which is on the way to the Kurjie Lhakhang. Many devotees from all over the country gather to witness the sacred event and to receive blessings. While the dates of the festival change according to the Bhutanese calendar, it lasts for five days. People dress up in colourful and expensive costumes and different dances are performed each day.
The festival is celebrated in honour of Guru Rimpoche who, it is believed, was born from a lotus flower and is credited with bringing Buddhism to the country. The highlight of the festival is the fire ritual and the naked dance or ter cham. Mewang, the fire ritual is conducted to subdue the evil spirits and deliver sins. Spectators pass through a gate of the burning inferno as it is said that doing so, delivers their sin and also ward off the evil spirits and bad omens for that particular year.
As per oral oral traditions, the naked dance originated in Trongsa during the time of Terton (treasure discoverer) Dorji Lingpa in the 14th century. He enacted the show, according to the prophecy of Guru Rinpoche and was performance served to distract the evil spirits and demons obstructing the construction of a monastery. Later, the dance was brought to Jambay Lhakhang by Terton Dorji Lingpa himself to commemorate the construction of Jambay Lhakhang and to honour Guru Rinpoche. The dancers are laymen chosen from the neighbouring villages and the dance is now believed to bless women with fertility.
So, will you be attending the festival this year?
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