| Description |
In Ney, a village in Lhuentse, northeast Bhutan, Chotpa gathers villagers together to make offerings to protective deities, dakinis, great teachers, and the protectors of Buddhist practitioners for the prosperous year. The ritual has a literal name that evokes the yearly celebration of a community gathering to make offerings. On 15th day of eleventh lunar month according to the Bhutanese calendar, Ney villagers gather at the local Lhakhang, temple, in the middle of the village. The Chotpa ritual is mainly to thank for the protection and blessing they received during entire year without any problem in their communities. They appease their guardian deities for ensuring well-being, health, and blessing good fortune for entire communities. They also seek protection on agricultural farm from natural disaster, wild animal, and pest in the forthcoming year as well. Chotpa is thus both a religious and social celebration for the year. On the day of Chotpa, people all gather at the lhakhang. Throughout the day, they chant mantras to make amends for wrong doings and to offer gratitude for the blessing and to request for enhanced wealth and peace.
While a lack of definitive sources makes it hard to trace the history of this occasion, the community believe that this ritual dates to early human settlement of the region. Community members consider it an important occasion, and it is a tradition which has continued for potentially centuries.
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| Transmission method |
The village is divided into three parts by location: Trongtoed, Trongmaed, and Zengtangpa. Each group consists of 11 households, who perform each ritual or festival in turn among their villagers. They collect cash, rice, vegetable, cheese, butter, and other ingredients equally among themselves. The collection of cash depends upon the number of Chhops, the ritual performers, present. It is mainly to provide Cha-ghep monetary wage, to the lama and monks. When the time nears, villagers discuss and one will look for monks and request the village lama to perform the ritual. Usually lay monks and Gomchen, lay meditators, perform necessary rituals under the guidance of a lama.
The preparation for the festival begins on the 14th day of eleventh lunar month. One individual from every household gathers at Lhakhang, temple, kitchen to contribute rice, vegetable, fruits, alcohol, and other necessary items. They assign individual duties for the important occasion and begin their work with cleaning and preparing food for lam and chops, monk and lay practitioners. After a served breakfast, the lams and chops start making torma, ritual cakes, while villagers are busy with collection and cleaning. It takes the whole day to gather necessary items and set up for the following grand day.
Early on the morning of the 15th, the villagers gather at the Lhakhang for Chotpa. The day starts with serving tea and breakfast to the Lama, Chops, and the people present. During the ritual, it is important to have a qualified ritual specialist such as a Lama or Monk with prior knowledge. The ritual begins with Lhabsang Tashi Reykong, a cleansing ritual featuring Yeshey Gyembo, (Skt. Mahakala), Gyembo, Lhamo (Skt. Mahakali), Namsay (Skt. Kubera), Tsheringma Goddess of Longevity, Yudronma (Skt. Vajradakini), Drangsong (Skt. Rahula), Gyalpo, Terdag, Pholha, Drakpo Gyalpo, Yawacha-dhuen, Zhidag and Genyen—the last being protector deities. The village lama and monks lead this ritual throughout the day. While performing, they must make Marchang an alcohol offering according to precise timing. That includes Gembo Marchang, Wine libation; Drakpa Gyalpo Marchang; and Mem-utse Marchang.
Ney villagers say the Chotpa ritual can be an alternative for Lochoe the annual ritual for those who could not perform back at home. So, they would bring rice, alcohol, eggs, and other items to offer during this ritual. It is also a ritual for family members currently outside of the village. The guests and other villagers sit through the day sipping Suja butter tea, drinking Ara locally brewed alcohol, and catching up on gossip. Older people spend the day chanting Mani, the six syllable mantra, and Baza Guru, Mantra of Guru Rinpoche at the Lhakhang altar. As the evening approaches, everyone is summoned to take share of the Tshok feast offering.
The ritual ends with the Tashi Monlam concluding prayers, then dinner is served to the lama and Chhops. During Tashi Monlam everyone gathers at the alter to pray for good health, and prosperity of the community and all sentient beings. The day ends with thanking the lama and Chhops and they serve food and hot Ara with butter and egg to all the people gathered at temple.
Ney villagers say they worry about the lack of youth involvement in such ritual occasions and festivals. Many younger villagers have gone to urban areas, and elders of the community now handle everything for the ritual. They say it is important for young people to know such local activities as it is a responsibility to perform all the rituals and festivals to be at the eastern gate of the secret land. The relationship with local deities has to be kept in balance in order to avoid negative consequences including misfortune and sickness.
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| Community |
Even oral tradition does not suggest precisely when and how the village was settled. Rinpoche. Once, while he was blessing the sacred places of Rinchen Bumpa, the precious jeweled vase at Kurtoe, he rested on a rock at Utse and saw a village which he named “Ney Pemachoeling.” Due to the blessing of Guru Rinpoche, the village continues to reap all the Dru Na Ghu nine cereals to this day.
The village is also blessed with an old temple, Ney Lhakhang, which Tibetan saint Lama Namkha built with the help of villagers in 1485. Another account of the temple holds that it was built by Lama Zhang. Lama Zhang had promised Terton Pema Lingpa that he would build 108 Lhakhangs, and one was in Ney. The main statue of the temple is a Buddha Dordhenma, and the architecture is unique as all the doors of all Lhakhang he built face south.
According to 2017 statistical report, Ney Chiwog has 325 inhabitants, of which 132 are men and 183 are women. Kurtoep is spoken by the community as their mother tongue. Since the start of Zhisar (rehabilitation project), a mixed language is spoken.
On November 1, 2015, the village rehabilitation project in Ney was inaugurated on the occasion of the 60th birthday of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. On behalf of His Majesty the King, His Highness the Gyaltshab, regent, attended the inauguration in Ney village. A total of 51 households from remote and distant villages in eight gewogs of Lhuentse district were renovated in Ney Chiwog sub block under the project.
Data collected by: Mr. Yeshi Gyeltshen, a graduate from Gedu College of Business Studies, Chhukha. |
