When you arrive in Haa, you are greeted by three giant identical hills rising steeply to the west, known as Miri Pun Sum, also styled as Miri Pun Suum or sometimes Me Rig Puen Sum: The Three Brothers Hills or The Three Sisters Hills. Located on the border between Kartshog and Uesu Gewog, one can admire the aligned hills in the middle of Haa Valley. For centuries, the Miri Pun Sum has been worshipped as the abode and embodiment of the Rig-sum Gonpo, Lords of the Three Families: with Jampleyang or Manjushiri on the left; Chenrizig or Avalokiteshvara in the middle; and Chana Dorje Vajrapani on the right. These three deities are considered the most important deities in the Vajrayana Buddhist pantheon, Miri Pun Sum symbolizes and emplaces them in the landscape, so they are worshipped as guardian deities protecting the Haa Valley. Legend has it that people suddenly appeared out of nowhere from Miri Pun Sum, and built the Lhakhang temple of Karpo and Nagpo, which stands in front of the three hills today. It is also believed that this sudden appearance of people from these three hills gave the place its name "Ha". Locals believe that the three hills themselves embody Buddhist powerful beings, and each is associated with a village as well. The people of the Bji and Kartshog Gewog village block are represented by the hill of Chana Dorji, the Vajrapani bodhisattva; they are known to be darker and tougher than their neighbors. While the notoriously meek people of the Uesu gewog are represented by the hill of Chenrizig, the Avaloketeshvara bodhisattva of compassion. Finally, Samar, Gakiling, and Sangbay gewogs are represented by the hill of Jampelyang, Manjushri bodhisattva of wisdom, to reflect their gentle, down-to-earth, and easygoing nature. People also believe that the collective welfare of Haaps depends on the condition of Miri Pun Sum, which is why the Haaps protect the three hills with great reverence. Locals believe that the Miri Pun Sum maintain peace in the valley. It is also believed that these three hills are responsible for rain, harvest, and prosperity of the families. Only when in the presence of these majestic hills can one truly fathom and appreciate this unique, fascinating landscape. Miri Pun Suum is considered a sacred landmark, revered by all Haaps with great respect and devotion. Since time immemorial, Haaps have offered Soel-kha propitiation rituals to Miri Pun Sum. In 2013, under the leadership of the Lhayul-kha people, the Haaps officially erected a Lha-chhim deity shrine in front of Miri Pun Sum to specifically perform Mang-chhoe, a great offering ritual for the welfare of the entire population, or Soel-kha for Miri Pun Sum. This Mang-chhoe is performed annually on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month. The Lha-chhim is looked after by two administrators whose posts are filled alternately by the residents of Lhayulkha village.

"Tattoo" a tattoo on the body that uses a needle or a sharp metal with black or red ink to permanently mark on skin. In Cambodia, tattooing on the body is a popular tradition, especially among the army and martial arts practitioners. For them, this tattoo is not for decoration, but a combination of magic to protect themselves in battle. People who know how to get tattoos are usually shaman may be respected elders, or may even be monks who know how to teach magic from their fathers or teachers. Traditionally, almost 100% of the students (who come to get tattoos) are men. It is rare to see women getting tattoos, as mentioned above, most people who get tattoos likely are soldiers or martial art practitioners. Tattooing is done at a shaman's house or at a pagoda if the tattoo artist is a monk because there are altars in those places. They can get a tattoo on any day, but it is believed that getting a tattoo on a holy day or a full moon is even better. The sacrificial offerings for getting tattoos included chom, mlu, betel nut, cigarette, candle, incense sticks, flowers, perfume, white skirt, money, and so on. Before getting a tattoo, the student must state his/her intention to get the tattoo so that the shaman can decide which Balinese to cast. Most of the Balinese chosen for tattooing are self-defense devices, such as bullet-proofing armor, stealth, non-cutting, non-burning, anti-witchcraft, and anti-demon and charms or commercial charms which is Youn Moha Niyum, and so on. During the tattooing process, both the shaman and the student must meditate and concentrate to avoid making mistakes, otherwise, it will be difficult to erase. Not only that, students have to pray constantly to absorb Balinese. As for the shaman, he also recited the Bali word for tattoo. The ink used for the tattoo is extracted from battery ink (some burn car tyres or motorbike inner tubes to make charcoal) and mix it with wine or sugar cane juice. Tiger milk is even more special. The most advanced tattoo artist, would simply draw a line on your body and design the tattoo right away. But those who are not so good at it, need to draw the tattoo first before putting the prepared ink on the drawing. To prevent perspiration, they apply a small amount of powder over the tattoo site. In case the tattoo is complicated and cannot be completed in a day, they have to wait until the skin recover before the tattoo can be continued. After getting the tattoo, you have to recite the blessing immediately without any offerings, just light incense sticks to commemorate the shaman. But if the students want to prepare the offerings again, they can prepare a bowl of water scented with good smell flower or just with perfume smell is enough. There is no need to add any offerings more than this. After the blessing, the teacher should tell the students what to refrain from. That can vary from shaman to shaman. Some people are forbidden to eat taro, banana tree, dog meat or walk under cloth lines, under a house, or under a carambola tree. It is believed that if a student does not respect others, he or she may become insane. If so, they have to invite the tattoo shaman to come and pray for the student to recover. Nowadays, there is a new types of tattoos to beautify the body, not to protect oneself, and even women like to get tattoos. Such tendencies may be influenced by foreign factors. The tattoo is not a Roub Yant, it has all kinds of tattoos to suit your tastes. As for the tattoo, there is no need to pick a time, there is no need to prepare, there is no need to recite magic when getting a tattoo and there is no need to do anything.

Overlooking a small perennial spring amidst a wooded hill is the seat of the Sapta Devi, “replica of seven goddesses” under a big rock beside a tree on the slope of the hill. In Lhotsamkha (Southern Bhutanese language), they are regarded as the Sapta Devi – “Seven goddesses” the protecting deity of the village. As per the present elderly village folks, one of the main stone replicas was dug out and was originated at same place, which is regarded as main deity was dug out by the local shaman “Paus”. A few meters below there is a pond of the deity. In the past, people used to collect water from the pond for domestic use. The origin of the identification of the sacred site dates back to the first settlement in 1940sas no villagers exactly know the date when they knew about the deity. According to the folks, herders and people collecting water from the pond used to see images of little girl vanishing into the bushes usually in the morning and evening. Even some people fell ill after they saw the image of the spirit. Upon consulting the shaman, they said that they were possessed by the deity residing above the spring. So, a group of shamans performed rites in the month of May in 1966, and identified the exact location and dug out the stone’s replica of the deity. People say that the stone replica was unearthed by the shamans after they knew about the location. The shamans also fixed a day for the ceremony to be performed during new moon in the month of May every year. The community thereafter started celebrating the day annually and performed the rites on the new moon day in May. Although the people observe the day annually, people visit the seat of the local deity whenever the village is in grip of pandemic or natural calamities. They make offerings of local products, incense and new pieces of different colored clothes. The past practice of killing animals as offering is no more in practice. Instead, Brahmins (one of the Hindhu casts) recite Holy Scriptures to please the goddess. The rice mixed with butter is offered in the sacrificial fire. All the people in the village take part in the ceremony to pray and ward off any disaster or natural calamities in the village.

The Minh thệ Oath-taking Festival (also known as the Minh Thề Festival) in Hoa Lieu village has existed for more than 500 years, and is an opportunity for people to commemorate the merits of the Empress Dowager Vũ Ngọc Toàn, who founded Lan Hiểu hamlet (today's Hoa Lieu hamlet) and review the content of the "Hịch Văn Hội Minh Thề" (oath). The festival takes place at the Hoa Lieu Temple - Pagoda Historical and Cultural Relic Site (Hoa Lieu hamlet, Thuan Thien commune, Kien Thuy district), Hai Phong city on January 14-16 every year. According to history, this ritual dates back to the Mac Dynasty, in 1561, Empress Dowager Vu Thi Ngoc Toan (wife of the Supreme Emperor Mac Dang Dung) founded Lan Nieu hamlet (now Hoa Lieu village, Thuan Thien commune). She donated to renovate the ancient Thien Phuc Tu pagoda (now Hoa Lieu pagoda). After the renovation, with the remaining donated funds, she bought more than 47 hectares of rice fields to divide among the farmers and make public land. The village called this field “Holy Field”. To prevent selfish interests, the Queen Mother and the villagers established the Proclamation of the Minh The Oath with an oath to take public property as the most important and not to encroach on public property. The Minh The Oath Festival was born from that time and has been passed down to this day. In the 19th century, the Nguyen Dynasty decreed the four golden words “My tuc kha phong” for the Minh The Oath Festival. In 1993, the Hoa Lieu temple complex was recognized as a national historical site, and the Minh The Oath Festival was restored. On the main day of the festival, the villagers set up an oath platform in front of the Hoa Lieu pagoda. The altar was solemnly arranged, with the highlight being the mandarin’s hat placed solemnly on the front of the altar. During the ceremony, the celebrant used a knife to perform the gesture of “pointing to the sky and drawing the ground” (“thiết linh trích địa”) in a large circle with a diameter of about 2 mét in the middle of the temple yard, called the The Oath Platform. The celebrant sticks a knife in the middle of the circle to show his determination to fulfill the oath. After that, the village officials and elders perform the incense offering ceremony to pray to heaven, earth, and the gods. After the rituals: offering incense, flowers, wine, and water to the gods, the celebrant stands in front of the oath platform and reads the Proclamation of the Oath. The content of the oath is that people must be upright, use public property for public purposes, and if they are greedy for private purposes, they will be punished. After the reading and oath-taking part, the ritual of cutting the chicken's throat and drinking "Kim Ke Huyet Tuu" takes place according to tradition. Everyone in the village drinks the oath wine (rooster's blood mixed with white wine) to wish for good luck and a clear conscience and participates in activities: tug of war, chess, rowing, cockfighting, etc. The Minh The Festival not only has historical and cultural value, but also contributes to educating the tradition of patriotism, ethics, lifestyle, village love, and neighborliness for generations of local people. In 2017, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized the Minh thệ Oath-taking Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Truong Ba Temple is located on a fairly flat piece of land in Tra Xuan town, about 1km from the center of Tra Bong district. Truong Ba Temple is a religious and spiritual establishment established by the Vietnamese and Chinese, becoming a pilgrimage site for the Cham, Kinh, Hoa, Cor and other ethnic groups. In addition to worshiping the Holy Mother Thien Y A Na, Truong Ba Temple also worships two human gods, Bùi Tá Hán và Mai Đình Dõng, two human gods who have contributed to the development, stability and pacification of the mountainous region in the West of Quang Ngai. In 2014, Truong Ba Temple was recognized as a National Historical Relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The lopsided banyan tree in front of the temple is recognized as a heritage tree. Truong Ba Temple Festival is an annual festival held at Truong Ba Temple in Tra Xuan town - Tra Bong Quang Ngai to pay tribute to the Holy Mother Thien Y A Na and other gods who have contributed to the development and protection of this land. The festival is held from April 15 to 16 of the lunar calendar. The ceremonial committee of about 17 to 21 people is carefully selected to perform many rituals: the procession of the royal decree, the bathing ceremony, the offering ceremony at the outer altar, the main hall ceremony, the flower lantern ceremony, the buffalo eating ceremony of the Co people, the incense offering ceremony... The festival features unique folk cultural activities such as: singing, lion and dragon dance, singing Ba Trao, Bai Choi, Cà Đáo dance, gong performance of the Co people... The festival demonstrates solidarity and the strong cultural exchange between the ethnic groups living in the area: Cham, Hoa, Cor, Kinh. Through the festival, local people and tourists will have a deeper understanding of the meaning of Dien Truong Ba as well as the cultural characteristics, people, and land here. In 2017, Dien Truong Ba Festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Dien Truong Ba Festival is a unique cultural highlight of Tra Bong highland district, which has been opening up a direction for tourism and service development in the locality.

Denoting ""carpet-washing ceremony"" (qāli""carpet""-šuyān""washing ceremony""), Qālišuyān manifests as a huge gathering in Ardehāl, at a 800m-long site, between Emāmzāde Soltān Ali ebn Mohammad Bāqer Mausoleum (abbreviated as Soltān Ali) and the holy stream beside Šāhzāde Hoseyn Mausoleum yard, where a holy carpet is washed as part of a live ritualistic procedure. Unlike the majority of Iranian rituals that follow a rotating lunar calendar, Qālišuyān is attended according to a fixed solar-agricultural calendar, requiring it around the nearest Friday to the 17th day of the month of Mehr (October 8th), called Jom'e-ye Qāli (""carpet Friday""). Thousands of people of Fin and Xāve constitute the practitioners; a greater crowd attends as witnesses. On Jom'e-ye Qāli morning, the people of Xāve gather at Soltān Ali to sprinkle rose-flower on a donated carpet they select. Having done the wrapping rituals, they, then, deliver it to the people of Fin outside. Holding neatly cut and beautifully decorated wooden sticks, the people of Fin run to take the lead in getting a grasp of the carpet, and carrying it to the running water, cleaned of pollutions and mixed with rose-water. A corner of the carpet is rinsed; the rest is covered with drops sprinkled with the sticks. The carpet is, then, returned to the mausoleum and delivered to the servants inside. The rituals are to express love and loyalty toward Soltān Ali, who is claimed to have been martyred in the same place and carried to his resting place on a carpet, instead of a shroud. Asserted, mainly, through oral history, Soltān Ali enjoyed a holy stance among the people of Kāšān and Fin of 1,300 years ago, who depended on his spiritual guidance. He was, finally, murdered by jealous governors. The story continues that the corpse was found, three days later, by the people of Fin who carried it in a carpet to the stream of Šāhzāde Hoseyn Mausoleum, Ardehāl, where the people of Xāve joined in washing and burying him. The present-day carpet-washing rituals are to commemorate the sad burial. A number of peripheral activities have emerged alongside Qālišuyān, too: - J ār: Oral proclamation of the ""carpet-Friday"" date by an elder; - Donated food: Distributed by witnessing people - Ta'ziye and other ritualistic performing arts: Performed peripheral to the main rituals; - Gatherings of people on the site, which last for several days.

Iran 2012