Introduction
Ancient cultures and traditions, costumes,
masks, dances never cease to intrigue people from the so-called “modern
civilisation”. However throughout the world, due to expansion of modern society
and to its effects, these diverse ancient treasures are rapidly disappearing
and being lost forever.
This booklet and the accompanying video try
to capture some of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the district of
Humla (Far Western Nepal), expressed in its various traditional dances. It was
produced jointly by the Community Learning Centres (CLCs) of Humla, by The
Himalayan Innovative Society (THIS) and by UNESCO, in a bid to preserve some of
the disappearing traditions of this remote and vulnerable area of Nepal and of
the wisdom they embody.
The production of a documentary film on
Humla’s cultural heritage is one of the activities that the Community Learning
Centres (CLCs) and The Himalayan Innovative Society (THIS) are motivating and
encouraging the community people in order to inspire dignity, to preserve Humli
culture for future generations and promote, in the long run, Humla’s
development. THIS provided technical support on management, coordination and
directing and filming. The community has kindly contributed by offering time,
use of ornaments and jewellery, and local musical instruments. UNESCO supported
production costs, together with THIS and four Humla CLCs, namely Baragaon,
Shimikote, Dandafaya and Hepka.
The video displays traditional dances from
various ethnic and social groups in Humla, and is the recording of the
competition that was organized on the 21st May 2005 at the Simikot,
district headquarter by the CLCs and THIS in order to celebrate "The World
Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development", and with the aim
to sensitize the community towards the preservation of Humla's cultural
diversity. Brahmin, Chhetri, Thakuri, Thapalyas and Dalit groups participated
to the event, under the slogan "The cultural wealth of the world is its
diversity in dialogue".
Culture takes diverse forms across
time and space. This diversity is embodied in the uniqueness and plurality of
the identities of groups and societies making up humankind. As a source of
exchange, innovation and creativity, cultural diversity is as necessary for
humankind as biodiversity is for nature. In this sense, it is the common
heritage of humanity and should be recognized and affirmed for the benefit of
present and future generations.
Humla: its territory and its people
Humla is one of the 15 districts of Nepal’s
Mid-western region. It is one of the most underdeveloped and remote districts
of Nepal.
The total population of Humla is 40,995, out of which, according to the Humla
Household Survey 2003, males are 21,589 and females 16,406. Humla is home to a
multi-ethnic community of Hindus (Brahmin, Chhetri and Thakuris) (84.38%),
Buddhists (Bhotes and Lama) 15.32% and of other ethnic groups (0.3%). Humla has
a Tibetan Buddhist population in the North and a Hindu population in the South.
The Hindu caste system, although abolished by law, still functions in daily
life.
The district of Humla, coordinated by HMG
Nepal through the Humla District Development Committee, is composed of 27
Village Development Committees (VDCs)
The popular Nepali media describes Humla as a
land of backward communities, famine, disease, poverty and illiteracy. However,
neither the people nor the natural resources are poor, and the real problems
are a general lack of self-empowerment for the people, and a scarce
consciousness of how to utilize natural resources in the most effective way.
The unwritten history of Humla is not yet
known to all. Only some elderly people know where their ancestors came from.
Even then, they do not know how, when and why they moved to Humla, so that
further research would still be necessary.
Elderly people say that the Thapalya
(Buddhist groups) originally came from Tibet and that the Hindu groups[1] came
from Jumla and from some parts of India.
The Brahmins and Thakuris entered the Karnali
region of Humla around the 12th century, bringing Hinduism along with them. Before
the migration of the Caucasians into the Indian sub-continent, they were
divided into two groups: one, later known as Khasas, entered the sub-continent
through modern Afghanistan
and then moved eastward to the hills along the Himalayan ranges.
The other group, the Thapalyas (Lama, Tamang,
and Bhote) entered from Tibet
bringing along Shamanic Buddhism. They lived in the highlands of Humla rearing
sheeps, yaks & horses, and travelling with sheeps between Tibet and the
Indian border in order to exchange food grains with salt. They became good
businessmen due to their knowledge of both Tibetan and Nepali.
Humla is a multi-ethnic and multi-caste district
where traditional Tibetan Buddhists and Hindus have been coexisting for
centuries, and where the communities have been interacting and supporting each
other with equal faith one towards the other. For instance, each community
takes part to the other’s festivals, such as in the case of the Raling festival
and other Shaman rituals and ceremonies.
Thapalya are a small, ethnically distinct
population living on the very edge of the Indo-Tibetan culture-contact zone. As
Tibetan people in a predominantly Hindu nation, which has long been subjected
to Hindu kingdoms, Thapalya are sensitive to their minority status. Because of
their multi-lingual characteristics, they act as middle-men in a complex system
of ethnic and regional economic specializations, especially in salt and grain
barter trade between Tibet
and the Indian border. Thapalyas represent features of their socio-cultural
system through their legends, particularly their origin legends, which trace
their ancestors' migrations and the settlement and development of their
villages over time. To villagers, these legends offer a kind of history, which
depict key events in the past that explain and chart significant aspects of
present-day village life.
Despite being a minority in the country, the
Thakuris consider themselves to be the ruling class. The Thakuris are still
considered the politically dominant class. They still pride themselves in being
the ruling class. Brahmins of Humla perform ritual services to other castes.
The Dalits are the former so-called
'untouchables', the lowest social group of the caste system, still nearly
always lagging behind in development from all perspectives.
A culture at risk
Humla, the land of
fairy tales, of Shamans, of the Holy Shelmo Kang (Crystal Peak), the meditation
centre of Guru Padmasambhava, Milaripa (Guru Padmasamvabha's disciple), the
playing ground of the Pandavas, of Mahabharata, Shiva Parvati and of other Gods
and Goddesses, needs a lot of research and exploration for its historical and
cultural preservation.
Due to various reasons, the culture and the
traditions of Humla are on the verge of extinction. One of the reasons is the
influence of the so-called “modern culture” promoted by western and Hindi
movies and medias (there is a cinema hall in Simikot and some villages have TV
powered by micro-hydro plants). Also, the rich Nyinba culture, one of the
Thapalyas’ subgroups, has become unaffordable to Nyinba people, because of the
economic crisis in the country, the decreasing number of people who have knowledge
of their culture (due to old people’s death) and the migration of younger
generations to cities for educational reasons, as well as for job and business
search. Additionally, due to security reasons, people are scared to move within
their community and do not practice traditional culture as fully as in the
past. The Lamas (religious teachers), the elders (both male and females), the
Dtoglas (local song leaders), the Ngardwans (music players) and other village
leaders who have a deep knowledge of Humli culture still take part to the
ritual singing and dancing, as well as to cultural activities. Therefore, the
various cultural traditions are increasingly disappearing day-by-day.
Before
the competition, awareness-raising activities were organised, which were
focused on the importance of local culture, and on the training in traditional
songs and dances, with the view to favour the transmission of oral traditions
from the elders’ to the young generation.
After the completion of the training, the
groups of participants took part to the final competition. Three dances from
each CLC participated to the final day and competed with those from the other
CLCs. A team of judges ranked the dances, songs and musical dance competition,
as follows.
SN
|
Name of the CLC
|
Name of the dance
|
Place
|
Marks obtained
|
1
|
Baragaon
CLC
|
Kemsal
|
FIRST
|
83.4%
|
2
|
Hepka
CLC
|
Shyabru
Dance
|
SECOND
|
75%
|
3
|
Shimikote
CLC
|
Khaya
Maisungma dance
|
THIRD
|
74.6%
|
4
|
Dandafaya
CLC
|
Chutkila
|
FORTH
|
72.2%
|
The prize distribution was followed by
speeches by the chief guest, guests and other respected people of the
community, whose excerpts are worthy to be quoted.
" My dear Humli friends, who drink water
from holy and pristine Manasarovara Lake, In Humla, not only there are hunger,
disease, and problems but also a very rich culture which can be an asset for
the development of the area through tourism development. You need to preserve
these cultures, and use them for income-generating activities. You need to
think of other income-generating activities, which can improve the life
standard of the poor people who hardly have food for 6 months a year." (Mr
Krishna Chandra Paudel, Chief Guest).
"This day reminded me of my childhood,
when we used to go different villages to observe different festivals. But today
we observed different dances of different festivals at one place, which is
possible only through the CLCs and UNESCO. I thank CLCs, THIS and last but not
least UNESCO for supporting the communities of Humla. We have more different
cultures the ones shown here are just parts of the whole bread." (Mr Lal
Bahadur Shahi, Coordinator of District Coordination Committee).
“People’s cultures have a great role in their
daily and social life. Without culture and tradition, one cannot survive in a
society, for it binds the members of the family to the society and to the
nation. Humla's cultural property definitely plays a great role to introduce
itself in the international arena”. (Mr Bishnu Prasad Subedi, Act. District Education Officer)
Humla’s traditional
dances
Humla is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious district
and it hosts a wide variety of festivals connected to Hindu, Buddhist and
Shamanic practices and rituals through out the year. Hindus celebrate Shaman festivals
like Chaitalo (in February), Saun Puni (August), Gaura (August-September),
Bhuwa (in December) and other festivals to worship Shamans. The Buddhist people
celebrate Raling festival (June), Lhosar (in December-January), Ami (ancestral
worshipping in June), Mani festival (in March), Labsols etc. The dances and
songs presented in the DVD are still performed on the occasion of some of these
festivals, and specifically:
The Hindus celebrate
the following festivals:
Chaitalo festival of Chhetris (men's bakpa
dance, womens' Chaitalo dance, deuda etc.) in March- April
Saunpuni festival of Chhetris (Shamans dance
and prayers , Deuda dance and songs etc) in August
Bhuwa festival of Thakuris, Chhetris and Lama (Bhuwa
dance and songs) in December
Gaura festival of Thakuris (Ghoda nach, Gaura
dance, Bhari Geet dance and Janti saram nach, Dhal Tarawar dance, Chutkila and
Deuda dances and songs etc.) August
Hindu wedding Chhetris and Thakuris (Janti
saram nach, Furka dance, prayers of deities, Bhari Geet dance etc.)
Raling festival of Hundus (furka dance and deuda
etc)
The Buddhist people
celebrate the following festivals:
Raling festival (Shyon dance(Buddhists)/ Furka
dance (Hindus), prayers, Deuda song and dance etc.)
Lhosar festival (Syon dance,Kar dance and
blessing songs, horse race, Shyabru dance etc.)
Ami festival (Shaman dance, worshipping of
ancestors, Shyabru) etc)
Mani festival (Bakpa Dance, Chhiring Chyoinga,
Jui Laba, Kar Dance, etc.)
Buddhist wedding (Khaya Maisungma dance, Kemsal
dance, Chyachemdung and, Tho songs etc.)
The Mani festival is a five days Nyinba
festival, which is composed of a long list of dances, such as Omphak, Tdarukpa,
Bakpa, Shektukpa, Chhiring Cheinga, Singhi, Juilaba, Kira Gonbu, Changjang
Tingjang, Thulgwakpa, Raute and Kar (Labu- Lhamu). Each year two different
households will host the festival, and prepare Chhyang (barley brew) to be
offered to the villagers throughout the festival. From the second day, in each
house the villagers dress up the dancers and send them to the centre of the
village, where the musicians are already waiting for them. From here, the Bakpa
dancers follow the musicians up to the Twagra (dancing theatre) near the
Kangni. After this other dances start from a place close to the Kangni.
The villagers invite their relatives from
different villages in order to show respect, to let observe their Mani
festival. At the end the host will present the guest either a Bakkhu (red
woollen men's dress) or a Jan (red woollen blanket) or a Kyarak (white cotton
cloth piece to tie around the waist with Bakkhu).
Famous Hindu shrines in Humla is the Mahadev
temple at Kharpunath (a place at the banks of Karnali river below Simikot),
Shaman temples Ramphal Mandu (temple) in Thehe, Lwasur temple in Chhipra, Gura
mandu in Bhin etc.
(Please see glimpses of 3 main festivals
such as Raling, Ami and Chaitalo is captured in this DVD.)
1.
Khaya
Maisungma (Buddhist men and women dance at the Bride's village)
Khaya Maisungma is one of the Nyinba
traditional wedding dances performed at the bride's village. In this dance both
men and women dance in their traditional dress and ornaments, holding a branch
of a special plant (Chyanma in local language) tied with a piece of white cloth
which is considered as a symbol of good luck. While the bride's party performs
its dance, the groom's party enters the playground with a special dress called
Gyanma (a locally hand made men's dress worn in Mani festival and weddings
only) and a white hat.
This dance relates to the historical wedding
of Brikuti (daughter of King Amshu Barma of Lichchhibi dynasty in Nepal) with the
famous Tibetan King Tsrongchen Gompo. It is said that this wedding strengthened
the business and trade ties between Nepal and Tibet, and
promoted a “golden era” of Nepalese crafts, culture and Buddhism.
The whole dance starts in the
Twagra (dancing theatre), where the bride’s group meets and performs its dance,
and where it is joined by the groom’s group. The bride’s group asks different
questions through songs and creates eighteen different kinds of obstacles along
the way from the Twagra to the bride’s house. The groom's group answer to all
the questions through songs, clears the above-mentioned obstacles, and reaches
the bride’s house. Finally, while entering the bride’s house, the groom’s group
sings songs for yard, main door, stairs, oven, and beam and also for the
bride’s domestic deity.
Dance performed by Buraunse
Sub-CLC.
2. Shyabru:
Naichen Potachhen Sargi Nima syarjung. (The Golden Sun is rising over the
Potala palace) (A Buddhist dance and song)
This song and dance are performed when
important people like Rinpochhes, Kings and prestigious personalities go to pay
respect to the bride’s and groom’s parents. The performance consists in a group
of villagers who dance in circle and sing prayers to the Holy Mount Kailash and
Lake Manasarovar[2] for the
long life and good health of the guests, and for the good health and wealth of
the host family.
This dance is common among the
Sathikole (one of the Thapalya communities) of Hepka and Khangalgaon VDCs.
Hepka CLC performed this dance
(second prize in the competition).
3. Ghoda Nach (Horse dance) (HINDU)
Ghoda Nach is a dance performed in the Humla
Thakuri communities, and particularly in the Dandafaya, Yangchu and Kharpunath
VDCs. It is one of the dances of the Guara festival, a Thakuri festival
celebrated before Dashain and Tihar in order to commemorate the wedding of
Shiva and Gauri (another name for Parvati, Shiva's wife), and to please the
deities. This is also considered an angel dance in heaven that is performed at
the wedding of Lord Shiva and Gaura (Gauri or Parvati).
On the Gaura festival, members of each
household come to the playground wearing their traditional dresses, swords and
shields. With them, a man acts as if he was riding a horse. Both parties dance
on the music played by the Damais (low caste musicians).
Dance performed by Dandafaya CLC.
4. Kemsal Dance (A dance to pay respect to
the bride's villagers) (BUDDHIST)
Kemsal dance is one of the most important
dances of traditional Nyinba wedding ceremonies. This dance is performed on the
second day of the wedding at the bridegroom's village to welcome the bride's
party, who has come to the grooms' village to offer gifts to the newly married
couple. Grooms' party and women of the village are involved in this dance. The
female dancers carry flags (flags with four colour indicating the four
directions) bottle gourd (masculine sign), a copper vessel which is used to
transfer local beer (feminine sign), jewels (the symbol of wealth).
Additionally, they bring eight auspicious symbols of Buddha Dharma, namely: the
precious parasol (a tool to protect from evil influences), the banner of
victory (representative of the triumph of Buddhist wishes over ignorance), the
white conch shell (a signal for prayers time), the knot of eternity (a symbol
of harmony, love and unity of all things), the golden fishes (representatives
of liberation from the wheel of life), the lotus flower (a symbol of purity),
the vase of great treasure (the jewels of dharma representing the holy eight fold
path to salvation). This dance is performed on the auspicious song called
'Gyemi Tala' (a song of prayers to respect the parents and elderly people).
Dance performed by Baragaon CLC (First prize
in the competition).
5. Damai Nach (The musician's dance) (HINDU)
The Damais are the so called low caste
musicians in the Hindu system. They play music for higher castes’ festivals and
for other ceremonies. The Damai Nach is performed on the occasion of Bhuwa (a
Hindu harvest festival celebrated in late autumn) festival, and is therefore
commonly known as Bhuwa Chali dance (a dance performed at the Bhuwa festival),
or as the harvest song and farmers’ dance. In the Bhuwa festival the Damais
sing a song that celebrates all the famous harvests of the area from Mt. Kailash
to Humla, and mention the names of the villages and of their famous harvests. The
song is concluded with the thought that now all the good harvest of the region
has come to the singers’ village and that therefore there will be no hunger and
famine.
The dancers wear a Nepali national dress for
this dance. In this dance and song all the good things have come into Humla
from Holy Mt. Kailash, which is the religious centre for Buddhists, Hindus and
for those who follow Shamanism.
Dance performed by Shimikot CLC.
6. Shyabru (Khamji kham sithi kharla jukshu
jamiling kipinima shyarsu) (The world is in peace and harmony when Venerable
Rinpochhe, king and/ or respected guest have taken their seat. (BUDDHIST)
The Shyabru song and dance are performed in
February, on the first day of the Lhosar festival (Buddhist New Year), in order
to favour happiness, peace and food for the coming year. Through this song and
dance the people bless each other for a happy and a prosperous future. Both men
and women from the village join in this dance and song wishing for good luck
and bright future. The younger people ask blessings from older people in the
village. On this day His Eminence Holiness the Dalai Lama or his picture is
worshiped by all the Buddhists, and people ask him blessings for a better
future, for peace and for prosperity, expecting that he will fulfil their
wishes. The Shyabru is common in the communities of Hepak and Khangalgaon VDCs.
Dance performed by Hepka CLC.
7. Chutkila Dance (Satirical song and dance) (BUDDHIST)
The Chutkila is a Thakuri dance and song, and
is performed on many joyful occasions like on Gaura Parva (Gaura festival),
during wedding ceremonies or pilgrimages, for a promotion or the birthday of a
baby, and in other happy occasions. This dance is occasionally organized by the
young boys and girls of the village, who split in two groups and ask each other
questions about pros and cons of the society, also warning the community not
act illicitly. At the end they will wish for blessings from the god and elder
people. The song is usually satirical, and resembles Deuda, a famous Hindu
dance in Western Nepal. The Chutkila Dance is
performed in Dandafaya, Yangchu, Kharpunath and Hildum villages of Simikot
VDC.
Dance performed by Dandafaya CLC.
8. Kar Dance (A ceremonial dance to show
happiness) (BUDDHIST)
The Kar dance is performed in happy
occasions, such as Lhosar (Buddhist New Year), Mani festival (a set of drama to
preach Buddhism in the laymen communities of Buddhists society), and wedding ceremonies.
It takes place at the centre of the village on the second day of the Lhosar
festival in the Nyinba communities. All the villagers gather on this dancing
platform. Then the dancers make two lines, male in one and the female in the
other. Usually the order of the line is that the eldest male member will lead
the dance and the youngest will be the last in the row, and that the eldest
female will follow the youngest male. After the completion of the dance, the Dtoglas
(song leaders of the village) and other men and women who have interest will
sing their traditional song. Through this they will exchange their blessings.
Dance performed by Buraunse
Sub-CLC.
9. Dhal Tarawar (Shield and Sword Dance)
(HINDU)
The origin of Dhal Tarawar dates back to the
18th century A.C., when in 1712 the Shah dynasty overcame the Marulay dynasty.
At that time the Khukuries and the Tarawar were the major weapons for warfare.
Originally this dance was performed by the warriors in order to show their
skills and to celebrate the victory over the Marulya dynasty and the
enthronement of the Shah dynasty. This dance is famous in the Thakuri villages,
which pride themselves with this victory.
In Dhal Tarawar the dancers perform their warfare skills and arts by
first dancing in a group, then splitting in pairs and finally returning back to
dance in group.
Dance performed by Hildum Sub-CLC of Shimikot
CLC.
10. Shyabru Dance (Pomi Gola Chyukpi Ghawang
Golep) (The description of the ornaments on the woman's head) (BUDDHIST)
The Shyabru dance is performed in
the communities of Sathikhole Thapalya in Hepka and Khangalgaon VDCs on wedding
ceremonies. After the wedding party, the singers (men and women of the village)
describe the beauty, the ornaments and all the jewels (turquoise, pearl, gold,
silver etc.) that the bride is wearing, in order to congratulate the groom’s
family for the beauty of the bride and for the good luck that she will bring to
their home.
Dance performed by Hepka CLC.
11. Jui Laba (The warrior dance) (BUDDHIST)
The Jui Laba is a Nyinba Mani dance, which
indicates that the Nyinba ancestors used to be warriors. There used to be
frequent quarrelling about the geographical boundaries and religious fighting
with the enemies from the west (Muslim invasion in Western
Tibet) during 18th century. After the victory for the
protection of Buddhism, the victorious Tibetan warriors started the tradition
to celebrate their victory by dancing. Today this dance is one of the dances of
the Mani festival, which is a religious drama performed to preach Buddhism in
the peasants' communities. Some Nyinba elderly people say that this dance is a
proof that their ancestors used to serve in the Tibetan army and that they have
fought in the battles with the Muslim Kings to protect Buddhism, and consider
this dance as one of the foundation stones to preserve their ancestral dignity
as brave warriors. Today this dance is celebrated in March-April in Nyinba
villages in Humla.
Dance performed by Buraunse Sub-CLC of
Shimikote CLC.
12. Furka Nach (Happy occasion dance) (HINDU)
The Furka Nach dance is performed by all
Hindus and Buddhists in several joyous occasions, such as in weddings, or
during Bratabandha (holy thread ceremony) and Pasni (weaning). Nyinbas
particularly perform this dance at the Raling festival, which is celebrated on
the occasion of the May-June full moon (same as Sakadawa festival of Mt. Kailash),
in order to celebrate the blessings from the holy pilgrimage Raling Gompa,
which is equally holy for both Hindu and Buddhists. Nyinba also perform this
dance on New Year’s Eve, and in that occasion call this same dance the
"Shyon" dance. The aim of this dance is to guarantee to the
performers’ families peace, prosperity and joy for the coming days. Among the
Hindus, only men perform the Furka Nach, whereas among the Buddhists the dance
is performed by both men and women, who sing religious songs called "Shyon
Lu" (the songs of the Shyon dance).
Dance performed by Dalits from Shimikote
Sub-CLC.
13. Bhari Geet (Songs of good luck) (HINDU?)
The Bhari Geet is a set of prayers that the
Thakuri villagers (men and women) sing and dance at the beginning of any kind
of auspicious occasions such as the Gaura festival, and wedding ceremonies or
the first birthday of a baby. The Bhari Geet is aimed at paying respect to the
gods and at blessing each other for happiness and prosperity.
The number of people performing this song and
dance may vary on the purpose of the occasion.
The Bhari Geet is performed in the Thakuri
communities of Humla, especially in Dandafaya, Yangchu and Kharpunath VDCs.
Dance performed by Dandafaya CLC.
14.
Bakpa Dance (Mask dance) (BUDDHIST)
The Bakpa Dance is the first dance of the
Nyinba traditional Mani festival, which in March celebrates the start of farm
works and the nature’s rebirth. This dance is a sort of drama and it was used
as a means for praying in Tibetan monasteries of the Nyingmapa sect before the
Chinese invasion. Nowadays, this tradition is still being practised in the
Chiwong monastery of lower Solukhubu (in the Everest region).
The Bakpa dance is performed to honour Guru
Chhapangmet (the protector), Amitayush Buddha (the god of longevity) and other
gods and goddesses, and takes place in the western part of the village, besides
the Kangni[3] (a
village gate with a Mandala and pictures of Gods and Goddesses which are supposed
to protect the village from evil spirits), which can be found in most of the
Nyinba villages and in the Limi valley near the Tibetan border. The Bakpa dance
is made up of eight types of dance segments, which are called Chhyab Gyat and
which represent six essential parts of the human body (mind, hand, heart,
waist, knee, foot) and two elements of human life(sky and earth).
Dance performed by Baragaon CLC.
15.
Chhiring Chyoinga (Five deities of longevity) (BUDDHIST)
The Chhiring Chyoinga dance is performed in
the Mani festival of Buraunse, a Nyinba community village. According to the
elder people of the Buraunse village, this dance was initially performed to
spread Buddha Dharma in Sawanling Hokpaling (a place in ancient Tibet) some
1200 years back. Today people dance the Chhiring Chyoinga dance as a dance of Mahakala
God (the protector). The dance is performed by two people with huge masks of
Mahakala on their head, one with a red face and the other with a green face.
These Gods helps people to cure disease and protect local people from famine
according to their needs. Other Nyinba villagers call this dance Dtal Nyomngan,
but the variation is only in the name and not in the contents.
In other Nyinba villages, the
"Chhiring Chhyoinga" (literally five deities of longevity) is
different from that of Buraunse. In Baragaon, Torpa and Limatang the
"Chhiring Chhoinga" is performed by five dancers with five masks of
different colours: white (peace), green (earth), red (fire), blue (sky/water)
and yellow (victory).
Dance performed by Shimikote CLC.
16. Janti Saram Nach (HINDU?)
The Janti Saram Nach dance is performed in
festivals like Gaura and during wedding ceremonies, and celebrates both Lord Shiva's
wedding and the victory of Gods over Demons in the Devasur Sangram (the battle
between Devas/Gods and Asurs/Demons described in the Hindu Epic Veda). During
this dance people offer "Tika", greet and give blessings to the bride
and the groom or put Tika on the images of Lord Shiva and Parbati. This dance
is performed in the Thakuri communities of Humla, especially in Dandafaya,
Yangchu and Kharpunath VDCs. The dance is performed by the village singers who
are especially invited to the wedding party and other rituals.
Dance performed by Dandafaya CLC.
17. Deuda dance (HINDU)
The Deuda dance is an integral part of the
Hindu culture of mid and far-western Nepal, and used to take place at
night, especially during festivals, among the young girls and boys from
different villages. The song used to be very satirical and dealt with the
positive and negative sides of the
society, as well as with teenagers’ problems, such as love, joy and
sorrow. Many teenagers have been getting married after this song and dance.
Nowadays, people of any age dance Deuda in daytime, and use it as a tool for
raising awareness about political and social debates.
The Deuda dance is performed by two groups of
people (male and female or male and male or female and female) moving in
circle, and comes along with a song, which is in the form of questions and
answers expressed in satiric rhyming poems. In each of the two groups, the
leader will compose the verses and will be followed by the others in singing,
the result being a sort of song competition.
The dance can be organized once the two
groups come to agreement at any place and at any occasion for fun and to keep
relationship with another party or to face rivalry through words (like satire
and dominating words).
Dance performed by Shimikote CLC.
18. Chya Chemdung (The dance of men drinking
like birds) (BUDDHIST)
The Chya Chemdung is performed on the second
day of the bride's arrival into the groom's house during the Nyinba wedding
ceremony. Before this dance, the bride's villagers and parents will have come
to the groom's village in order to give gifts and blessings to the newly wedded
couple. Having the bride’s party created obstacles to the grooms’ party during
the Tho-lu (debate songs) singing two days prior, on this occasion the groom's
party takes revenge for that by testing the bride's party's skills to drink
Chhyang like a bird. In fact the dancers, which are the bride's group, have to
drink a cup full of "Chhyang" barley wine from the ground just like a
bird. The dancers are not allowed to use their hands and knees for support,
they have to balance and pick up the cup from the ground with their teeth and
drink. The whole dance is an explanation of the principle that people have to
follow the rules and regulations of the village where they have come to.
On this occasion the bride's maternal uncle
and her father or grandfather gets a Bakkhu (a woollen men's costume) and
red-shawl as a token of respect.
Dance performed by Baragaon CLC.
The Himalayan
Innovative Society (THIS):
THIS is
a small but active non-governmental, non-profitable organization that does not
discriminate on the basis of caste, religion, sex, age, colour and/or politics.
Vision:
THIS envisions a
society in which people are able to make informed choices for positive change
based on understanding of how their social and physical environment affects
their lives.
Mission:
To move towards
its vision, THIS' mission is to facilitate a bottom up process with full
participation of the local people in order to bring a balanced social reform by
maximum use of local and natural resources.
THIS aims to work
in Humla District and Mid-western Region of Nepal in the sectors of Health,
Education, Tourism, and Human Rights.
THIS is also providing
technical and management support to the Community Learning Centres (CLCs) that
are established in Humla with support from UNESCO Kathmandu under Human
Security Fund and Early Childhood Development Centres in partnership with
UNICEF Nepal.
For further Information please contact:
The Himalayan
Innovative Society,
GPO Box 8975, EPC 4161,
Maharajgunj, Kathmandu.
E-mail: thisngo@gmail.com
Web page: www.thisngo.org.np
Articles Received from :
The Himalayan
Innovative Society,
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