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Tala Choedpa: Tala Annual Ritual Festival of Zung-ngey community
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  • Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright
    Manage No EE00002076
    Country Bhutan
    ICH Domain Social practices, rituals, festive events
    Address
    Tala Chodpa is an annual event for Phurjoen, Nangar, Thromed, Bithang, Trakhar, Oongsang, and Zung-ngey villages in Chume Valley. Tradition maintains that Tala is a local name for the Rhododendron kesangiae, a species of plant with large dark leaves and pink or white bell-shaped flowers identified in 1989 and named in honour of Ashi Kesang, Her Majesty the Grand Queen Mother of Bhutan. While the plant is not incorporated into Tala Chodpa celebrations, this flower blooms at the same time the festival takes place. Thus, many state the festival is named after tala flowers, and ‘Tala Chodpa’, means ‘Festival of Offering Tala Flowers [to divine beings]’. Another account maintains the ritual began in the Tag Lo (Tiger Year), hence ‘Tag Lo Chodpa’, or the ‘Festival of Tiger Year’.
    Year of Designation 2018
Description Held from the 10th through the 15th days of the second lunar month, main foci of this festival are paying tribute to Guru Rinpoche and the performance of ritual prayers dedicated to Tshepamed (Buddha of Long Life) and local protective deities on the 10th and the 11th days. Events take place in community temples and are presided over by lamas and monks, and/or locally-based gomchens (Leymen). On the 12th to 15th days, games and sports are organized, especially archery and Khuru (Traditional dart) are played. At night, the Blessing Round or Changkor (Wandering) takes place as a presiding lama or monk leads a group to visit every household in their respective villages and bless them with auspiciousness. The community members drink, sing and dance, and relish good foods during the period. The festival is not only meant to pay tribute to Guru Rinpoche and the protective deities but is also an occasion for community members to get together to relax away from the usual toils of agrarian life. During Tala Chodpa, most of the villages conduct certain ritual prayers. Often the dagkey, or main ritual prayer, is either the Lama Norbu Jamtsho of Pema Lingpa or dedicated to Tshepamed, the Buddha of Long Life. These are often followed by ritual prayers conducted on the individual household level or at the community’s choesung, and include Guru Soeldeb, prayers to Guru Rinpoche. Groups of seven or eight monks from Nyimalung Dratshang preside over the Chodpa ritual prayers and rituals in different villages. The monks of Buli Gonpa also preside over Chodpa ritual prayers in upper Chume. It is said that previously monks from Tharpaling Monastery also presided over the Chodpa rituals in the upper villages of Chume like Uruk and Gaytsa, but now they are no longer available due to activities in their home monastery. Wherever monks are not available, local gomchens take their places. It is said that gomchens are playing an increasingly prominent role as monks are busy with their monastic activities as well as due to other disciplinary issues. In all the community Lhakhangs (Temple), the ritual prayers take place on the 10th and 11th days, followed by associated programming that continues through the 15th day. Between the 12th and 15th days, different villages organize traditional games, including archery, Doegor (stone-throwing) and khuru (darts), as well as singing and dancing by almost all the local residents. At night, they organize the Changkor, during which they bring Torma or sacrificial cakes from their respective community temples and carry them from house to house, spreading blessings.
Social and cultural significance Nangar has a long tradition of Tala Chodpa, and they continue to celebrate it even if there is a death of a member in their community. In communities like Oongsang, Phurjoen and Zung-ngey, there are, however, changes in the schedule in the event a community member has passed away few months before the conduct of Tala Chodpa. Under those circumstances, Tala Chodpa lasts only a single day and is conducted on the 10th day of the second lunar month. Further, there are no entertainment-oriented events such as archery and khuru matches, dancing and singing. Also, changkor is not observed. Another village called Thromed used to conduct Tala Chodpa. However, the households that once constituted Thromed have resettled into a new village called Bithang, and no longer celebrate Tala Chodpa. Until 2010, Tala Chodpa was conducted at Trakhar for seven days between the 10th and 16th days of the second lunar month. Since then, Trakhar conducts a one day Tala Chodpa on the 10th day of the second lunar month. Previously it was mandatory for the whole community to take part but this is no longer the case. The result is that many locals have lost interest in the festival because they believe that whether Tala Chodpa is conducted or not there is no impact on their lives. This has led to a deep decline in participation in the Tala Chodpa. Tala Chodpa in all villages is the result of collective efforts of the whole community and relies upon residents each doing their part, yet in the modern world it is proving increasingly difficult to continue the traditional structure. Although the tradition of Tala Chodpa is popular with the older generation, it is of less interest to younger people, and participation has declined in recent years in part due to rural-urban migration. Although resources do not survive that allow us to establish conclusively when Tala Chodpa began, it is clear that many in the communities that celebrate this festival have a strong sense of its importance, and that its celebration is an expression of their local beliefs and traditions. Many local residents believe that the festival propitiates their protective deities and offers a chance for the communities to join together and receive blessings, and renew their faith and beliefs. It is believed by many that the festival prevents sickness and saves crops from diseases and wild animals. Tala Chodpa has the reputation of being a joyous affair where the local residents come together and celebrate through a range of activities. However, as time goes on the perceived benefits of the festival may continue to decline, and may impact the sustainability of the Tala Chodpa in the near future.
Transmission method The preparation of ritual cake and other preparations take place on the 9th day of the second lunar month. The ritual cake preparation usually takes place at the house of the pirpon or chupon. After the ritual cakes are made, they are carried from the house to the temple and placed in the shrine in advance of the ritual prayers that will be conducted in the following days. Day One (10th Day of the Second Lunar Month): Ritual Prayers: The 10th day begins with lhabsang at the temple, followed by Guru Soeldeb. Guru Soeldeb is conducted at the temple for the wellbeing of the community. During the present researcher’s visit in 2016, eight monks performed the ritual prayers. It is mandatory for all community members to be inside the temple during this ritual. Lunch is served after Soeldeb. After lunch, the community members engage themselves in offering tshog inside the temple. People also pray to the protective deities, offering respect, and seeking blessings. After dinner, people sing and dance at the temple, as a part of the entertainment programme. Day Two (11th Day of the Second Lunar Month): Ritual Prayers The second day of the festival starts with lhabsang. Guru Soeldeb is conducted at the temple until the lunch break, after which is Trashi Monlam. Trashi Monlam (Concluding prayer): The Tendrel Takpa divinatory session takes place after Trashi Monlam, when everyone gathers at the temple’s main shrine. The ritual performers and heads of the households join the head lama. The head lama holds a Choeting, or offering bowl, filled with Singchang and grains of wheat in his right hand. He then tosses the bowl into the air; if it lands facing up, it’s considered a sign of good things to come, though if it lands upside down it bodes ill for the community. The bowl is tossed as many times as necessary until it lands facing up. The same Tendrel process is repeated in the temple courtyard. In the evening, people observe changkor, and continue their merrymaking well into the night. Agenda for the 12th and the 13th Days of the Lunar Month On the 12th day and the 13th days, men gather for archery matches while the women dance and sing. In the past, these festivities continued until the evening of the 15th day, however, as most people need to attend to other business, archery usually concludes on the 13th day.
Community In general, the entire Chume valley observes Tala Chodpa on some scale depending on their means. However, the villages of Phurjoen, Nangar, Thromed, Bithang, Trakhar, Oongsang, and Zung-ngey traditionally celebrate Tala Chodpa on a larger scale. It is not known exactly when or why this festival holds such importance to these particular villages. As with generations past, local people believe it is their duty to follow in their ancestors’ footsteps and continue the tradition. Some believe that if the festival is not properly conducted, the community may be impacted by sickness and disease amongst people and livestock, or their harvest may not thrive. It is believed that Tala Chodpa in Zung-ngey originated from Trakhar, the homeland of Thukse Dawa Gyeltshen. It is held annually at Zung-ngey temple between the 10th to 13th days of the second lunar month. Each of the twenty households of the community contributes toward the celebration of Tala Chodpa. The festival is also widely known as Geney Tala Chodpa, named after Geney village, which is now known as Zung-ngey. Zung-ngey village consists of twenty households. The village has a small temple, Zung-ngey temple, located along the main Trongsa-Jakar road. The temple is a low-lying structure located under a huge tree. The murals inside the temple were repainted in 1978 by the renowned Bhutanese scholar Lam Pema Tshewang (1926–2009), himself native of Zung-ngey. Today, Lam Pema Tshewang’s family looks after Zung-ngey temple. According to Bhutanese tradition, Zung-ngey temple is said to be one of the seven Thadul Yangdul Buddhist temples established by the Tibetan Dharma King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century to subdue the landscape and make it suitable for Buddhism. Specifically, Zung-ngey is reputed to be one of the ‘border-taming’ temples. Tradition maintains that later, when Guru Rinpoche was residing at Berempa on the hillside opposite Zung-ngey temple, Zung-ngey temple caught fire and was destroyed. It is believed that Guru Rinpoche eventually renovated the temple and also built a new, small temple just below it. Data collected by: Ms. Sonam Yangdon, NLAB
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National Library and Archives of Bhutan
https://www.library.gov.bt/archive/
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