Clowns performing ritual to appease local deity

The Shinjé Yabyum dance is a display of Yamāntaka, performed by two dancers wearing red bull masks, silk robes, vajra shoulder covers, and traditional Bhutanese leather boots. They each hold a sword symbolizing the wisdom that cuts through ignorance. The dance is accompanied by a musical orchestra constituted of a cymbal and long horns. During the entry and the exit chapters, oboes are also played. \n\nVajrayāna rituals including sacred cham require the stage to be cleansed of negative forces. Thus, the female and male wrathful forms of Mañjuśrī chase evil forces and bless the ground as sacred space. This action of delimiting the ground is called sachag, or establishing the ground. The dance is also performed as a piece during the dance tests, which the dancers perform without wearing masks. The dance is often performed by the dancers who are next to the two chief dancers, these being the first and the last dancers.\n\nDuring this dance, the master clown often appears to make fun of the two bull-masked figures, pretending they are bullocks and he is a ploughman. The movement of the dance, like most other cham, alternate between slow and peaceful motions and fast violent movements. \n\nNote : The text above is an excerpt from the collection of essays from the Bhutan Cultural Library (https://schopheltrashigangpa.wordpress.com/) and adapted with the information provided from the National Library and Archives of Bhutan.

2019 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage

ICH Courier is the quarterly magazine on ICH in the Asia-Pacific region issued by ICHCAP since 2009. Every issue has its own theme under the title of the Windows to ICH, and the theme of the Vol 12 is 'ICH AND MAKEUP'.

"The sea has long been a part of ritualistic life across many cultures. There is a special bond between humans and the sea that we depend so much upon for our lives. Recognizing the importance of the sea and associated rituals, this volume of the ICH Courier focuses on four maritime rituals of the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, we will explore the vast differences in how communities in Vietnam, Taumako of the Solomon Islands, Korea, and China practice their sacred rituals in relation to the life-giving waters that surround them."

ICH Courier is the quarterly magazine on ICH in the Asia-Pacific region issued by ICHCAP since 2009. Every issue has its own theme under the title of the Windows to ICH, and the theme of the Vol 19 is 'TRADITIONAL MASK DANCES.'