Watching the Chham in Spiti, you
feel the Occasion applies strongly to a person who believes in keeping his Wish
List of “A 100 Must Things To Do Before You Die”….the charm of the
valley, its people and the rarity of the occasion add to the fervor. Spiti by
itself is inaccessible and hardly frequented by a casual tourist with no proper
accommodation and infrastructure. And the festival herein occurs once a year
during the month of July. So you either need a stroke of good luck or precise
planning to be there. The Key Monastery where it takes place is Tibetan in its
origin located close to the village of Kaza.
This dance form originated in the
10th century, when it was performed first to kill the local king Lang Darma of
Tibet. The king had usurped the throne by murdering his brother who was a
devout Buddhist. Lang Darma was a sworn enemy of Buddhism and the monks used to
call him the Demon King. The persecution of Buddhist monks went beyond limits
since the Monks were aware about the devilish propensities of the king. Sick of
the constant reprisals the monks decided to kill the king using the dance
concept. The king was invited for the performance and when he arrived, the
monks began dancing around him. As the dance and the music reached a crescendo,
one of the Monks managed to slay the king before fleeing from the spot.
Within
the Key Gompa, there is a small Open Stadium where this was being conducted but
it was rather small to house all the people who had gathered. So we could see
people perched on Trees, Windows and Walls to get the best view of the
proceedings. Though locals were in majority, there were also a handful of
foreign tourists and a few Media persons. The ceremony was presided by the Head
Lama and other Monks, reciting from the Holy Scriptures to the accompaniment of
musical instruments. The dance began in small rhythmic movements to the beat of
drums, Cymbals, Trumpets and Conch Shells as it gradually reached its climax
The masks represent negative
elements like Ogres, Devils and Skeletons, which are believed to be waiting for
the soul of the dead. Bright colors like Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Black and
White are used in the silk costumes. The masks and costumes are made by the
Lamas themselves, according to the religious customs. The performance is
interspersed with intervals, allowing the dancers to change their costumes.
The
ritual lasts for 2 – 3 hours and is a treat for Shutterbugs with never a moment
being missed. As pantomime battles follow rhythmically between the forces of
good and evil, the battle reaches its climax with the Evil being killed with a ceremonial
dagger
Once
the elaborate ceremony comes to a conclusion, the entire assembly of Monks who
had participated in the proceedings leave the Courtyard in a procession. As
they circumambulate the Monastery, the gathered crowd prostrate as the
procession moves on.
It is believed that the Chham also
exorcises evil spirits and demons. The theme of killing the evil king,
symbolizes natural calamities, diseases, epidemics and the evil tendencies in
human beings.
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