| Description |
Ney village is one of many across Bhutan to observe a Pholha ritual, a seasonal ceremony to appease the local patron deity. Pholha literally means "male god" who protects the area under his control, such as certain parts of the valley. The identity of the guardian varies from region to region, as does the ritual.
The Pholha takes place in Ney every year on the 22nd day of the first lunar month according to the Bhutanese calendar. The villagers perform the ritual mainly to appease their local deity and make offerings. Terdag Zora Ra-ky, the patron deity of Ney Tsachu hot spring; Tsan Yawacha-dhuen, the seven deities; and the Zhidag lord of the settlement of Ney village. The ritual mainly consists of sealing or closing the mountains to people for a certain season, this practice known as Rigya Lungya Dam or Ridam intends to avoid disturbance or defilements of the holiness of the deity’s abode as well as the surrounding sacred areas.
Ridam is a practice of mountain sealing known in many parts of the mountains. The road to Baeyul Khempajong, a sacred hidden land, and the mountains are closed to people from spring to autumn until the rice harvest. During this time, people are generally not allowed to enter the area to collect natural resources or visit any place in the area. This prohibition is especially strong for outsiders not from the village.
On the day of Pholha, they go early in the morning to the Pholha Phodrang, the deity’s residence, which is located above the village, and make offerings to the Terdag Zora Rakye. Afterwards, they return to the Lhakhang, temple, and make the offering to their Zhidag Yawacha-dhuen, who is located below the mountain Khenjey ri, which can be seen from the village.
Villagers in Net perform this ritual believing they are at the eastern gate of the secret land of Baeyul Khenpajong. Before reaching the village at a place called Khaiphu, they believe that there is a key to the secret land, and on the way to Khempajong at a place called Juemo, there is a gate in the form of a large stone. To keep these sacred places secure they perform the Pholha ritual every year.
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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 ritual begins on the 21st day of first 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 22nd day of first lunar month, they all gather at the Lhakhang for Pholha. The day starts with serving tea and breakfast to the lama and Chhops and the people present. After a little rest, five or six village volunteers begin preparing feast. While the Chhops followed by their helpers and and villagers head towards the Pholha Phodrang residence, which is located above the village with all the Torma ritual cakes, ritual instruments and other things required. They setup small Choe-sham, shrines, and make place for Chhops to sit in front of the Phodrang. While there they burn incense, light butter lamps, recite prayers, and make Tshok food offerings.
The ritual begins with Lhabsang and offering sang, the incense smoke consumed by deities. These offerings continue for a day from the Phodrag back to the Lhakhang. The rituals are Tashi Reykong, Terdag, Pholha and Zhidag. In between each ritual they have to offer Terdag Marchang, an alcohol offering, to Palden Lhamo, the glorious fierce protectress of Bhutan. One by one, the people from the village make offerings to Pholha. This process takes place for almost 2-3 hours.
After much of offerings, the Chhops and attendant villagers return to the Lhakhang in the village for lunch. After eating, the next ritual program starts at the Lhakhang with chanting the mantras. The ritual consists of Tashi Reykong, Neypo, Terdag, and Zhidag. These are the rituals that close the mountain and river, collectively a Ridam. In between they also have to offer Neypo marchang another alcohol offering.
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 Tshok ritual feast.
The ritual ends with the Tashi monlam and serving dinner to the lama and Chhops. During Tashi monlam everyone gathers at alter to pray, and promises to prevent outsiders from entering Khenpajong. In return they ask for the timely rainfall, good health, and prosperity of the community and all sentient being. The day ends with thanking the lama and Chhops and they serve food and Ara, local brewed alcohol-heated with butter and egg to all the people present.
Villagers are concerned about the lack of youth participation in such occasions and festivals. Most of the youth from the villages have moved to the cities, and until now everything is done by the elders in the communities. They say it is important for young people to know what activities are being held in their locality. It is their responsibility to perform all the rituals and festivals to be at 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. |
