The sacred 11-day ceremony, dedicated to the protecting deity Pelden Lhamo (goddess Mahakali), begins in the evenings and continues for 22 hours at a stretch in a day with short breaks for meals and rest. The Drubchhen was instituted between 1705 and 1709 by Kuenga Gyaltshen, the first reincarnation of Jampel Dorji, the son of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. According to legend, Pelden Lhamo appeared before him and performed the dances while he was in meditation. Based on these dances, Kuenga Gyeltshen initiated the Drubchhen. Palden Lhamo is the only female dharma protector common to all four schools of Buddhism and one of the three main protecting deities of Bhutan.
The annual Thimphu tshechu which was introduced in 1687 during the reign of the fourth Desi, Tenzin Rabgye, lasts for fours days during which mask and historical folk dances are performed in the courtyard of the Tashichhodzong. Meanwhile, the Gonpoi Drubchhens are being performed in Rinpung dzong in Paro and Wangduephodrang dzong. The Gonpoi Drubchhen is dedicated to Yeshey Goenpo or Mahakala, the main protecting deity of Bhutan. The Gonpoi Dubchhen was introduced in Paro, Wangduephodrang and Trongsa by the 68th Je Khenpo, His Holiness Tenzin Dendup, in 1987. Yeshey Goenpo is one of the most prominent guardians or protector deities of the Drukpa Kagyue school of Buddhism. An emanation of Chenrezi (Avalokitesvara), Mahakala is the wrathful deity that destroys mind chatter and brings the mind back into attentive focus. Meanwhile, an eight-day Peling Drubchhen at Gangtey Goenpa in Wangduephodrang concludes tomorrow with the Nguedup Langwa (receiving of spiritual wisdom/power) in the morning. The Drubchhen is being performed by the Sungtrul Rinpoche and the Gangtey Trulku in connection with the reconstruction of the 451-year old Gangtey Lhakhang. The annual three-day Gangtey Tshechu will begin on September 14. On September 17 the public can receive blessings from the sacred images of the Lhakhang which will be shifted to a safer place in preparation for the lhakhang(s reconstruction.
The main highlight of the 15-day annual Dubchhen was the LhamTsomo dance, dedicated to Mahakali, performed in the courtyard of Tashichhodzong on Sunday. The Dubchhen was instituted sometime between 1705 and 1709 by Kuenga Gyaltshen, the first reincarnation of Jampel Dorji, the son of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. According to legend, Pelden Lhamo appeared before him and performed the dances while he was inmeditation. Based on these dances, Kuenga Gyeltshen initiated the Dubchhen. Palden Lhamo is the only female dharma protector common to allthe four schools of Buddhism. She appears very wrathful, and ridesher mule through a sea of blood, surrounded by fire. The
Thimphu tshechu was introduced in 1687 during the reign of the fourth Desi,
Tenzin Rabgye. According to a spokesman for the Dratshang Lhentshog, the Phurpai Dubchhen was started in 1974 as part of completion ceremony for the National Memorial Chorten and became an annual ceremony in 1981. |