Tibetan Cham Dance is a ritual dance performed in Monasteries during special occasions like festivals and Teachings. This religious dance is performe only by monks. The ritual is performe to instruct viewers morally, destroy bad spirits, and for the greater good of humanity.
The Tibetan Cham dance originate in Tibet and is still practiced today. It is a major highlight of all Buddhist festivals and special events in the Monasteries.
The Tibetan cham dance is highly choreograph. A select group of the resident monks will perform as directed by the mystic dance master ( Cham Pon). They will be dress in brightly pattern attire and Mask. All the other monks of the monastery will be dress up fully in their ceremonial attire. They will recite mantras associat with the cham led by the Rinpoche ( The highest order of the monastery). This recitation of the Mantras creates a suitable ambiance. The performance is a dramatization of the philosophy of good over evil and a ritual offering to the deities and guardians of the faith.
The masks in Tibetan cham dance represent various characters from Tibetan fables, history, and divinities in various manifestations. The mask is made carefully by skilled craftsmen with proper alignment to the measurements provided in the scripture. The materials used for the mask are cloth, paper, and blue.
The duration of the Cham dances often ranges from 2 days to over 15 days. As the cham reaches its climactic scene, the sacrificial offering of a Human figure made from the dough is ritually cut into pieces and scatter in the four directions. This represents the killing of the enemy of Buddhism and the purification of the human soul from the three evils of jealousy, hatred, and ignorance.
Background History of the Tibetan Cham Dance
Legend has it that Padmasambhava started the Tibetan cham dance tradition in the late 8th century CE. Yet there are two stories about how it started.
According to one source, when the translation of all the Buddhist scripture into the Tibetan language was completed, Guru Rinpoche, along with other masters and great translators, started dancing in a circle in front of the Samye Monastery.
Yet, according to another source, Tibetan King Trisong Detsen called Padmasambhava to Tibet to get rid of the evil spirits that prevented the building of the Samye monastery. The revered Guru Rinpoche performed the ritual dance to subdue the evil spirit. Over time, the same ritual dance became the elaborate Tibetan Cham Dance.
The Performance of the Tibetan Cham Dance
Cham is an elaborate, masked, and Costumed dance. It is consider an act of cleansing evil forces. Gods and Deities of Buddhism are evoked before the performances. It is inspire by the Tantric tradition, which was performe for the greater good of all sentient beings.
The performance of the cham dance is of great religious significance. The dance’s main focus is the ritual of meditation, hand gestures, chants, invocation of deities, and destruction of three evils. Dressed in vibrant clothes and masks, monks assume the roles of deities and demons and perform a mock battle in which good prevails over evil.
Cham’s performance is a narrative tale about legendary deities, and it is a moral lesson for the viewers. We consider it important to see a lot of different forms of Deities in our lifetime. When we go through the Bardo stage after death, these deities will show us the way to the next life.
Where will you see the Tibetan Cham Dance and When in Tibet
We decided to list the dates and places where you can see Tibetan Cham Dance in Tibet.
- Tsurphu Monastery. The monastery has two days of cham dance on the 10th and 11th day of the 4th month (Saga Dawa) of the Tibetan Lunar Calendar.
- Drikung Thil monastery. In this monastery, there is a cham dance for five days starting on the 25th day of the 4th month (Saga Dawa) of the Tibetan Lunar calendar.
- Samye Monastery. On the 4th day of the 6th month of the Tibetan calendar, there is a cham dance.
- Sakya Monastery Cham Dance: On the 29th day of the 11th month of the Tibetan Calendar, there is a cham dance.
Suppose you are planning to travel to Tibet for the Tibetan Cham dance. Please check with us to find out if the date is finalise, as it might be subject to change. Read more about Tibet Travel Information and Tibet Tours. Please visit our blog: Nomadictibet.com.
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