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Cham: Mesmerizing Buddhist Mask DanceDressed in vibrant colors with mesmerizing masks, monks of Buddhist monasteries perform dances known as cham. These dances are performed in Buddhist monasteries of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and India. This dance is commonly known lama in Nepal. There are different types of cham dances depending on the lineage of the monasteries and places. As many mask dances and rituals, this dance is also performed depending on the waxing and waning of the moon.\n\nThese dances originated in Tibet and have influence of the Bon religion and shaman culture. This dance is believed to eradicate diseases and negativity in the community and village, but also influence good harvests. According to the Tibetan legends, after the introduction of the Buddhism in Tibet, the king wanted to build Buddhist monasteries, but the spirits of the Bon religion created obstacles. A well-known Buddhist tantric from Uddiyana (presently the Swat region) known as Padmasamvaba was called on for this purpose. He performed a vajrakilaya dance to pacify the local spirits stirred by Bon magic and were not happy with the Buddhist monastery. After clearing the obstacles through the Padmasamvaba’s cham dance, the monastery was built in 706 CE. Now four school of Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug) use cham in their rituals.\n\nEven though Padmasamvaba is credited as the first cham dance, there have been contribution from many spiritual lamas to further develop cham dances. Many stories on improving the dances tell stories of lamas seeing dances in the dreams in which they remembered all the choreography and taught to the disciples. This transference of the knowledge from masters to apprentices still continues. Some Dalai Lamas have contributed to the cham dance. A few to mention here are the Fifth Dalai Lama (Gyalwa Lobsang Gyatso, 1618–1682), who not only described the dance minutely in chams yig but also constructed Potala Palace that became a Tibetan Buddhist center. The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, (Thupten Gyatso; 1876–1933), who fled to Mongolia during the British invasion, had vivid dreams. Based on those dreams he created a cham known as white man from Mongolia. Now after the dispersion of Tibetan Buddhists all over the world, cham dances are also widespread along with them. But the cham dances differ according to the school of Buddhism and also the dates of the dances.\n\nCham dances can be performed only by initiated monastery monks. Even if they have initiation weeks before the start of the dance, the monks practice these dances and undergo associated rituals. Depending on the type of dance, they will have a set of masks and the clothes. Cham dances feature various characters, most of which fall under the following types: 1) God of the Tibetan pantheon; 2) tramen, goddesses or witches; 3) ging, low ranked gods; 4) mahakalas, or wrathful protectors; 5) clown and jokers called stsaras; 6) mythical characters; and 7) humans. Cham dances are purification processes in which the demons enter through ritual and remain as a deity. These dances used to be performed in secrecy, but now everything is open.\n\nVarious musical instruments create devotional and symbolic music for the dances. Even human thigh bones were used as musical instruments to remind the performers about mortality and impermanence. The function of music and dances in Tibetan religious ceremonies is always directed towards attaining enlightenment.\n\nPhoto 1 : Cham dances being performed by the monks of Shechen Monastry, Boudha, Kathmandu ⓒ Shechen Monastry\nPhoto 2 : Cham dances performed by the monks of Shechen Monastry, Boudha, Kathmandu ⓒ Shechen MonastryYear2019NationSouthwest Asia,Bhutan,India,Nepal
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Basanta Panchami: Arrival of SpringOn 16 February 2021, Hindu Buddhist population of Nepal celebrated Basanta Panchami also known as Shree Panchami or Sarashwoti Puja. This day marks the arrival of spring that could be seen with blooming peach trees and other flowers in the neighborhood. This day falls on the fifth day of shukla pakshya (waxing moon phase) of the Nepali month of Magha. So literally basanta panchami means spring on the fifth day of waxing moon.\n\nOn this day, the special event is organized in an ancient palace—Hanumandhoka Durbar Square of Kathmandu known as Basanta Shrawan. According executive director of the Hanumandhoka Museum, Mr. Sandeep Khanal, this event has continued since the Malla period (1100 to 1769 CE). At that time and until the monarchy was abolished in 2008, the king used to attend the ceremony. Even though in the Malla period, the ceremony was not known as Basanta Shrawan, but the inscriptions mention about worshipping the god Kamadeva.\n\nThe president of Nepal as a head of state attends this ceremony accompanied by the prime minister and other VIPs. The ceremony welcomes the spring, the second stanza of book Geet Govinda is recited. From this recitation this ceremony is named Basanata Shrawan. Along with Geet Govinda, Byachali raag is also recited. Priest performs the special worshiping on the auspicious time set by the panchanga samiti (group of astrologers who sets time and date for the auspicious occasions of major events). Normally the auspicious times are in morning and this year the auspicious time was set on 10:17 am. A group of musicians also play sitar in this event.\nIt is also celebrated as Saraswati Pooja, worshiping the goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. On this day, early morning parents are seen with the kids learning to write on the walls of temple of Goddess Sarashwoti with chalk. This is the symbolic meaning for asking blessing from Goddess Sarashwoti to read and write. On this day many parents start initiating teaching alphabets to the kids. Schools around the country also organize events to worship goddess with various other entertainment programs.\n\nBuddhist in Nepal believes Maha Manjushree arrived to Kathmandu from Lasha on this day. Manjushree is associated with the legends of formation of Kathmandu Valley. Manjushree came to worship the light in the lotus blooming at the center of lake. He could not reach there so, cut the hill (which is now believed to be chovar) with his sword and let water out of the lake. After the drainage of water settlement in the valley stated. Manjushree is one of the Bodhisattva that symbolizes wisdom and worshiped on this day. So along with the Sarashwori Temple, the temples of Manjushree are crowded as well.\n\nSo, this day is considered auspicious. For the start of new ventures, building houses or getting married according to the Nepali culture, people check the auspicious date with the astrologers. This day Of Basanta Panchami is considered to be so auspicious that people don’t need to consult for an auspicious date. Therefore, on this day we can see many marriages taking place and people starting new houses or constructing new houses.\n\nAs in other many festivals and rituals, this day is also an example of syncretism of Hinduism and Buddhism in Kathmandu Valley.\n\nPhoto 1 : Sister teaching younger brother to write on the wall within the premise of temple. © Monalisa Maharjan\nPhoto 2 : Wall of deity full of writings of kids during the worshiping. © Monalisa MaharjanYear2021NationNepal
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The five-day festival of TiharTihar is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal. This five-day festival has something that relates to almost every community dwelling in the country. It is both a religious and a cultural festival that reminds us about the importance of human relations and that with nature and its various components.\n\nIn Teria, the southern region of Nepal, it is celebrated as Dipawali. Houses are decorated with oil lamps to welcome Lord Rama, who is returning with his wife, Sita, to his kingdom after 14 years of exile and defeat of the demon king, Ravana. In the hilly region, it is celebrated as Tihar with the honoring of the goddess Lakshmi, and sisters bestowing blessings upon their brothers. In the Kathmandu Valley, it is known as Swanti among the Newar community and is celebrated with much fanfare. Tihar also holds special significance within the farming community. It marks the end of the harvest season and thus the filling of the granaries and store houses or rooms with ample produce to last for a year.\n\nThe five-day festival, also referred to as Panchak, honors Yama, the lord of death, and is mainly dominated with the worship of the goddess Lakshmi, the giver of wealth according to Hinduism, as well as appreciating animals that are connected closely to humans. Houses are cleaned and decorated with oil lamps and marigold garlands, in preparation for the festival. In modern times, colorful strings of flashing electric lights have begun to replace traditional oil lamps.\n\nThe festival commences with the kaag puja or tihar, which is the worship of the crow. According to the Hindu epic Ramayana, the crow was cursed as well as blessed by Lord Rama during his exiled years. The curse was that it could use only one eye at a time and the blessing was that it could see what other eyes cannot see—spirits and departed souls. In this regard the crow is seen as the connection between the living and the dead, thus it is appeased with offerings of good food placed in an open area outside the house.\n\nThe second day honors the dog, called the kukur tihar. For thousands of years, humans and dogs have shared a very special bond and the dog has often been referred to universally as “man’s best friend.” Dogs are specially venerated on this day as an appreciation for their loyalty and for guarding our homes. Red tika is applied to their forehead and a pretty garland placed around their neck. Special treats are fed to the dogs, and the best part is that, besides domestic pets, street dogs are also treated with equal reverence.\n\nThe third day begins with the worship of the cow in the morning and the goddess Lakshmi in the evening in the hope she will bless and bring fortune to the worshiper. Posters of the deity are purchased beforehand and, for the ritual, pasted in safes, lockers, or where monetary transactions take place. The ritual is then performed in the evenings, beginning with the lighting of oil lamps, chanting of mantras, and making of offerings to appease the goddess of wealth.\n\nThe fourth day celebrates the ox, the Govardhan Puja, another faithful and very useful animal in Nepali culture. Being an agrarian state, depending heavily on agriculture for sustenance, the ox has played a major role in plowing the fields and pulling carts in the absence of modern technology. This day has another very important significance to the Newar, or locally community of the Kathmandu Valley. It is the “Mha Puja,” or the day to cleanse and worship oneself. The elaborate ritual starts in the evening with the making of a mandala and lighting an oil lamp on it. All family members are seated in front of their own mandala, cleansing themselves of the sins of the past year and enriching themselves both physically and spiritually with energies for the coming year. Coincidentally, the Newari New year (Nepal Smavat) is also celebrated the same day with much fanfare, bike rallies, and traditional music.\n\nThe fifth day is the Bhai tika, a much-awaited day for both brothers and sisters. Although different communities all over Nepal celebrate it in their own way, the meaning of the ritual is for sisters to ask God for long life, good health, and prosperity for their brothers. The sister applies the tika to her brother’s forehead, and decorates him with garlands of flowers. Traditionally, she prepared a whole array of edible goodies for her brother, although today this has been replaced with attractively packaged imported treats. In return, the brother blesses his sister and gifts her cash and sometimes various other tokens. They then sit and make merry, exchanging sibling love and respect with good food and drinks. For those who do not have a sibling to celebrate with, there is a tradition of going to specific temples.\n\nIn sum, Tihar is a celebration of humans and their relations with each other. It also celebrates the relations between humans and animals, thus emphasizing the importance of a harmonious ecology for a better spiritual and social life, a tradition that we should persevere to continue and hand down to newer generations. This year, the festival falls between October 26 and 29.\n\nPhoto : Tihar Festivalⓒ Swosti KayasthaYear2019NationNepal
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Wishing Abundance to the Goddess of Wind: Jeju Chilmeoridang YeongdeunggutIn traditional society, Jeju has blossomed an original and attractive culture based on its natural feature of being a volcanic island located between the Korean Peninsula and the South Sea. Every year in February of the lunar calendar, “Gut,” one of Korea’s seasonal customs, is held throughout Jeju to pray for the peace, good harvest, and good catch of the sea. Haenyeo (local female divers) and shipowners prepare food offering for the gods, and shamans serve as a bridge between gods and people, offering ancestral rites to the spirits of nature, such as the wind goddess, sea god, and mountain god. “Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut” is Jeju’s representative intangible cultural heritage that captures what the sea meant to the lives of the former islanders.\n\nJeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut is based on the myth of Yeongdeung God, the goddess of wind (otherwise called the “yeongdeung halmang,” meaning Grandmother Yeongdeung), along with various guardian deities of the village, the dragon king and ancestrial gods. Yeongdeung God is a foreign goddess that appears in a myth in Jeju. She returns on the first day of the second lunar month and controls the weather while staying in Jeju, she sprays seeds of grain to be harvested the next year on the ground and seeds of seaweed and seafood on the sea. The goddess is also a threat to people’s lives by stirring the sea, but also a god of abundance that helps seaweed grow well by circulating seawater. This myth reflects the islanders’ perception of the sea, which is both a source of life and a dangerous place.\n\nRecords of Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut can be found in “Shinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungram”, “Tamraji”, and “Dongguk Sesigi”. Above all, however, the reason Yeongdeunggut could be transmitted for a long time was that the residents were the true owners of the heritage. While preparing food for rituals with marine resources collected from the sea, which is part of their lives, haenyeo and shipowners inherited the tradition as a subject of Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut along with a shaman leading the gut. The ritual was passed down in the lives of Jeju residents for a long time. Shaman Ahn Sa-in was designated as the ICH holder in 1980, allowing more people to learn the value and importance of the heritage.\n\nJeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut is a unique tradition that can only be seen in Jeju Island, where rituals for mountain gods and rituals for Yeongdeung are combined with one shamanic ritual called Yeongdeunggut. On every February 1st of the lunar calendar, Chilmeoridang in the village, where Yeongdeung-gut is held, welcomes Yeongdeungsin with a welcoming festival. The villagers offer offerings to the god of Yeongdeung, the guardian deity of the village, and the sea god to pray for the abundant year and the well-being of the village, and on February 14, they hold a farewell ceremony to send back various gods safely. Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut, which has been handed down as a folk ritual that reflects the natural view and belief of Jeju people over many years, has been recognized for its academic value as the only haenyeo-gut in Korea that shows a unique combination of haenyeo beliefs and folk beliefs. In 2009, it was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.\n\nDespite the development of negative views on folk beliefs due to modernization, Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut has become an important cultural festival that fosters unity and bond among community members and a ritual that captures the lives of ancestors who shared the flow of nature. Surrounded by the sea on all sides and in the wind blowing rapidly, Jeju Islanders did not simply fear and fight the winds, but recognized them as beings that brought the blessing of abundant resources. As the voices about the environment are increasing, it is believed that this view of nature of Jeju Islanders can be a guide to living a “sustainable life” in a modern society.\n\nphoto : Jeju Island shamanic ritual to Yeongdeung, god of wind, which became a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. © Korea Open Government License Type 1, SourceYear2022NationSouth Korea
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GANGNEUNG DANOJE FESTIVAL, ANCIENT EVENTS REVITALISING DOWNTOWNThe Gangneung Danoje Festival has maintained typical elements of ancient festivals that were held in May (seedtime) and in October (harvest time) during the Samhan period (around 300 CE). In the fifth lunar month, which includes Dano day, local people perform rituals for driving away evil spirits and welcoming the fortune and participate in traditional games and activities. The main deities of the festival are the mountain god, Kim Yusin, who was the general of Shilla and the United Three Kingdoms, and the royal tutor tutelary deity, Beomil, who was a Shilla monk. The first documented record of Dano folklore appears in the Samguksagi (A History of the Three Kingdoms). Other records indicate that Dano has commonly been referred to as ‘Suri’ in local dialects.Year2012NationSouth Korea
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GA:PYAKHAAN/ ASTHAMATRIKA NAACH: A SACRED MASK DANCE OF EIGHT MOTHER GODDESSESThe mask—a mystery in itself and a disguise that gets many names and forms along with the circumstances, context, beliefs, values and practices that always carry a story to be told. Nepal stands as one of the culturally rich nations with more than 365 different festivals celebrated annually, many of which have mask dance performances representing a specific religious deity. Ga: Pyakhaan or Asthamatrika Naach is one of many mask dances performed annually in the city of Patan, Nepal. The word astha means eight; matrika means mother goddess and naach means dance, thus, literally implying “dance of eight motherly goddesses.” This dance is performed during the Dashain festival from Ghathasthapana to Vijaya Dashami (first to last day of the Dashain festival) in the royal courtyard of Mul-chowk inside Patan Durbar. It is believed that these eight tutelary deities help in protecting the city from eight specific fears: threat from outsiders (historically from other states and kingdoms), wind, water, fire, natural disasters, enemies, thieves, and evil spirits. Thus, it is an annual ritual performed for wellbeing, peace and prosperity of county and citizens to protect them from unforeseen fears that might be faced in days to come.Year2020NationSouth Korea
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Significance of the Month of Shrawan in NepalThe Nepali annual calendar is full of life and filled with celebrations and festivals enjoyed by communities from different castes, ethnicities, and religions. Shrawan (July/August), the fourth month of the Nepali calendar, reflects greenery in the environment and in the lifestyle of women.\n\nThe entire month of Shrawan is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the supreme deity in Hinduism. Devotees offer their prayers and seek blessings from Shiva for success, prosperity, and a better conjugal life. Shrawan is filled with religious celebrations.\n\nLegend\nIt is said that samundra manthan (the churning of the ocean) took place during Shrawan. Through that process, a number of valuable rubies emerged from the sea along with the halahal (a deadly poison with the potential to destroy the world). Lord Shiva came to the rescue by consuming the poison himself. It is believed that his neck turned blue due to the poison’s toxic effects, thus earning him the name Nilkantha (the one with a blue throat). The other gods came to help Lord Shiva using the water from the Ganges. He wore crescent moon over his head to reduce the effect of poison and maintains the temperature of his body. It is also believed that Lord Indra came to help by showering him with rain to reduce his body temperature. This is why water (particularly of the Ganges), leaves of the bel plant (bilva leaves), and milk are offered to Lord Shiva during Shrawan to earn good fortune.\n\nFasting and Bolbam\nShrawan is one of the most sacred months of the year in the Nepali calendar, and people devote themselves to religious activities. Although devotees visit temples regularly, it is believed that offering prayers on Mondays during Shrawan has special significance. People perform pilgrimages, also known as bolbam, barefoot and in orange attire to bring pure water from the holy river and offer it in temples to Lord Shiva. There are different practices of fasting. Some avoid grains, salt, oils, and spices on this particular day only, whereas others avoid meat, garlic, onion, and ginger for an entire month. Mostly Hindu women and girls continue fasting during this month. A married woman observes a fast for their husband’s healthy life while unmarried women do so in the hope of finding a better life partner.\n\nHenna and Bangles\nNepali women and girls are often seen wearing green and orange attire, hennas, and bangles to mark this month. Nepalese markets are filled with brightly colored accessories and apparel for the whole month. The green color signifies not only the cultural spirit but also the environment, which is verdant after the monsoon season. Married women can be seen wearing colorful glass bead necklaces, known as potay, a symbol of marriage in the Hindu culture. The potay is an important piece gifted by a groom to his bride during the wedding ceremony.\n\nPhoto 1 : A holy pilgrimage bolbam ⓒ Riwaj Rai\nPhoto 2 : Bangles and glass beads necklace potay ⓒ Smriti Rai\nPhoto 3 : Henna ⓒMamta AcharyaYear2019NationNepal
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VA TEMPLE AND THE VENERATION OF THE TAN VIEN MOUNTAIN GODFacing the rising sun, Va Temple in Van Gia Village, Trung Hung Ward, Hanoi, is also known as the East Palace, marking its importance as one of the four major veneration sites of the Tan Vien Mountain God, a key figure of Vietnamese spiritual tradition. According to legend the site’s tutelary divinity is the Ancestral Deity of the Southern Heavens and God of the Tan Vien Mountain, one the country’s most ancient deities and one of the principal mountain gods. As such, the Tan Vien Mountain God is venerated throughout the northern plain region of Vietnam by the Viet people and by some of the country’s ethnic minorities as well.Year2016NationSouth Korea
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Good Practices in Safeguarding Traditional Crafts for Sustainable Development in Communities: A Case Study of Aranmula KannadiAranmula is one of the oldest villages in the state of Kerala, India. The village nestles on the banks of the River Pamba in Pathan- amthitta District. At the center of Aranmula is the Sree Parthasarathy Temple, around which the life, culture, and traditions of Aranmula village revolve. In the temple, the presiding deity Lord Krishna assumes the role of the charioteer Arjuna in the Kurukshetra War.\n\nLegend has it that Aranmula is one of the sixty-four ancient villages established by the Brahmins along the western side of India from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. Of the sixty- four villages, thirty-two are located in present-day Kerala, including Aranmula.\n\nThe rich cultural heritage of Aranmula encompasses the surrounding twenty-eight local regions called Karas along the River Pamba. The annual Aranmula vallamkali boat race is the oldest of its kind in Kerala. The Uthrattathi Jalotsavam race is held as part of the larger harvest festival Onam during August and September. Fifty-two palliyodams (snake boats) measuring 30–36 meters in length with more than a hundred oarsmen on each boat take part in the jalotsavam. The oarsmen sing the traditional Vanchi Pattu (boat songs) that invokes Lord Krishna of Aranmula. The palliyodams are also associated with ritualistic oral traditions, as embodied in the Vanchi Pattu, and social, ritualistic, and festive events such as a vegetarian feast (Valla-sadya or boat feast).Year2023NationIndia
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Divine FoodFood plays an important role in spiritual rituals and worship for many faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. The food offered to God is called prasada/prasadam, which means a gracious gift. Prasadam could be any o!ering, but typically an edible food is firrst o!ered to a deity in his or her name.Year2019NationSouth Korea
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TEYYAM, POWERFUL MANIFESTATIONS OF GODS IN NATURETeyyam is a divine dance that is prevalent in the northern districts of Kerala, such as Kannur and Kasargod. The name teyyam is derived from daivam, a Sanskrit word meaning ‘god’ or ‘deity’. Performed in shrines, sacred groves, houses, and open places, teyyam represents mythological, divine, ancestral, animal, and heroic characters, each with its own distinct shape and form of origin. There are over 350 of these teyyams.Year2012NationSouth Korea
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LHAMO’I DRUBCHEN: THE VAST ACCOMPLISHMENT OF PALDEN LHAMO (MAHA KALI)Lhamo’i Drubchen, or colloquially Lhamo’i Dromche (with a corrupted form drubchen), is a grand religious ritual and mask dance dedicated to Palden Lhamo, the principal female guardian deity of Mahayana Buddhism. It is conducted in Thimphu Dzong (Thimphu Fortress) by Zhung Dratshang (Central Monastic Body) and is the most highlighted annual event that takes place before the monastic body leaves for the summer residence in Punakha Dzong.Year2017NationSouth Korea