[ Prem Chetry ]
BOMDILA, 11 Nov: The 17th Drub Chhod Chenmo, popularly known as Bomdila Torgya, a four-day monastic event, began at the Gontse Gaden Rabgye Ling monastery here in West Kameng district on Saturday.
Torgya is an annual monastic event, comprising a series of rituals, prayers and offerings to seek wellbeing of all sentient beings, and to avert natural calamities and epidemics. Mask dances, known as ‘chams’, are performed on the occasion.
In the morning, Phag Cham (boar dance) and Lang Cham (ox dance) were performed to consecrate the dancing ground and to appease the deities of all four directions.
The monastery’s abbot, Geshe Dondup Tsering, said, “Torgya is the annual event not confined within the monastery. It is a religious ceremony in which prayers and rituals are observed for the benefit of all sentient beings, and also to promote world peace, avert natural calamities, and for prosperity and good health.”
Phur Cham (vajra dance), Dri Cham (sword of wisdom), Apa Ara Kha-Kyog (symbolising the consecration of the dancing ground), and Gyug Cham (stick dance) were also performed in the morning.
In the afternoon, Bar Wa Pun-Dun (the dance of seven dharma protectors) was peformed, followed by Monto Rokpa, a dance symbolising the celebration of victory after the establishment of the Samya monastery in Tibet, which was the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet.
