Bhutan Culture Bhutanese Folk and Mask Dance Mask Dances Pictures Bhutan Information Kira for women Rachu for women Pesar for children Tshechu Bhutan Videos

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Nestled in the southern foothills of the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is the last Mahayana Buddhist kingdom. Buddhism has had a tremendous impact on the rich culture and traditions, and way of life of the Bhutanese people. Among the most vivid manifestations of Bhutan's unique culture are the Chham (sacred mask dance) performed at local temples and monasteries during Tsechu (annual festival), and Zhabdro (folk song and dance), which are popular throughout the country. While both monks and laypersons perform mask dances, monks participate only during religious festivities. Traditional dance forms play an important role in the religious and social life of the people and reflect the deep devotion, compassion, tolerance, and harmonious living. The origin of sacred mask dances lie in Buddhist traditions that date back to the 8th century.

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By the middle of the 15th century, Bhutan had developed its own sacred dance traditions associated with the Great Terton (Treasurer Discoverer) Pema Lingpa (1450-1521).

Performed before the celestial palace of Guru Padmasambhava, who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century. Pema Lingpa's compositions provide - interludes before and after the ritual climax of the festival, besides forming the great part of the repertoire. Many of these dances portray different sets of divine attendants and celestial beings preparing a path to heaven.
The Bhutanese consider the very act of watching sacred mask dances a spiritual experience that can help one acquire merit and liberation from worldly attachments. It also enables spectators with an opportunity to reaffirm their devotion and commitment to lead virtuous lives. Adorned in rich robes of silk and brocade, performers wear masks representing saints and sages, protective deities, legendary personages, and animal forms. The dances are accompanied by the music of cymbals, drums, large and small horns, conches, and bells.

Bhutanese folk song and dance, which pre-dates the 2 mask dances, can be classified into two categories:

Zhungdra (classical form) and

Boedra (court form)

Most of the popular folk songs and dances can beattributed to the period of renaissance in the arts that occurred during the reign of Zhabdrung Ngawang' Namgyal (1594-1652), who unified Bhutan into a a single political entity in the 17th century.

The folk songs are natural and intuitive expressions of social mores and beliefs. In addition to the universall themes of love, joy and sorrow, folk songs reflect the interdependence and harmonious coexistence of man, all sentient beings and nature, values that are deeply ingrained in the Bhutanese psyche.

Musical instruments like the dranyen (lute), pi-wang (fiddle), lim (flute) and yangchin (dulcimer) accompany the songs and dances during formal occasions and gatherings.

Courtesy RAPA

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