| Description |
The Neypo ritual is a seasonal offering performed across Bhutan to appease local deities, Ney village in Lhuentse to the northeast is one of many villages to perform this ritual. Neypo literally means "Zhidag", a category of deity who protects the area under their control or certain parts of the valley. The identity of the protector figure varies from region to region, as does the ritual.
In Ney village, the Neypo ritual is performed every year on the 15th day of the third lunar month of the Bhutanese calendar. The ritual is performed in their Lhakhang, temple, in order to appease the local deity Zhidag Drakpa Gyalpo with offerings. In return, the community asks for his protection of their farms from wild animals. The Zhidag is believed to dwell below the village in a dense forest on the left side of Kurichu.
Zhidag Drakpa Gyalpo has a grim appearance with a black face, dark clothes, and a reindeer mount with ten horns. He has one face and two hands; in his right hand he holds a flaming sword and in his left hand he holds a robe or Zhagpa sling. Within a single second he could cover the distance between any two places. Eighth century tantric master Guru Rinpoche (Skt. Padmasambhava) bound Drakpa Gyalpo by oath and made him the protector of the East Gate of the hidden land Baeyul Khempajong, and sworn to be the Dharma protector in the region.
During the Neypo ritual, the entrance to the dense forest is sealed off for people which will last for a whole season, which is called Rigya lungya dam or Ridam. Ridam is a common practice of mountain closure in which the path to the Zhidag Phodrang, deity’s abode, and the surrounding dense forest are closed to human access from spring to autumn until the rice harvest.
During this period, people are generally not allowed to enter the area to collect natural resources or visit any place in the area. After performing rituals, no one is allowed to go there unless except for exceptional occasions. This restriction applies to outsiders as well as people from the village.
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| Social and cultural significance |
The Neypo ritual shows reverence and gratitude to the local deity as they support and benefit the communities, as well as for protection for their domestic animals and farms from pests and wild animals. The ritual helps to connect communities and individuals to the local produce. Until now, they accomplish their work by making offerings to the deities and performing rituals.
From a social perspective, this ritual helpd the community protect their pristine natural environment. Ridam practice restricts encroachment and prevents harming the environment by gathering resources, herding cows, and other activities, and angering local deities who might bring hail or heavy rain and destroy crops.
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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 third lunar month. One individual from every household gathers at the 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 morning of 15th day of third lunar month, they all gather at the Lhakhang for Neypo. The day starts with serving of tea and breakfast to Lama and Chhops and the people present. The ritual begins with Lhabsang, Phurpa, Neypo headed by village lama and monks. Everyone is designated with a duty so the ritual runs smoothly. 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, they bring a torma to the top of the cliff at the end their village. The Neykhang is just located below the cliff in a dense forest on other side of Kurichu river. A Torma ritual cake is made representing Neypo Drakpa Gyalpo, a man riding on reindeer. A group of elders carries the torma to the location. While taking a ritual cake they must also bring a meal with both Paa, meat, and a bottle of Ara alcohol. Once atop the cliff they place the Torma on its designated seat and shout to call the protector:
“Neypo Drakpo Gyalpo, we are here to make an offering to you, please accept our offerings! Protect us from natural disaster and take care of our domestic animals. Don’t send wild animals like tiger, leopard, and fox to our village and our farms. Moreover, bless us with timely rainfall, good health, and fortune!”
The villagers believe Neypo to be rather deaf and they must shout loudly to call him or send messages.
After that these groups of people consume the food and alcohol, divide Nyendhar among them, and return to the temple. Then the kids of the village bring another Torma ritual cake to other Neypo locations nearby. One Torma takes the form of an Ox, and the children bring it to Bakcham Neypo in the village. A Torma in a form of a Yak goes to the Bumpaling Neypo. The ritual and day ends with the Tashi Monlam concluding prayer and dinner for the lama and Chhops. They also serve everyone gathered with food and Ara locally brewed alcohol that’s heated with butter and egg.
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 maintain the eastern gate of the secret land.
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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.
In 2017, Ney Chiwog had 325 inhabitants: 132 are men and 183 women (cite). The community speaks Kurtoep 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. |
