TORGYA
Venue: Tawang Monastery
Celebrated By: The Monpa Tribe
Time Of The Festivity: End Of January
Torgya is a monastic festival held every year for three days
starting from 28th day of the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, which
generally falls in the last part of January. In order to drive off evil
forces and to ward off any natural calamity so that people have a happy
and prosperous life. A propitiation (Torgya) rite of Yamactaka Chak Khar
Zur Gurpa is conducted and with this connotation the festival is called "Torgya".
Thousands of people throng the monastery during these three days in their
colorful, best dresses, making the festival a carnival of colours.
A Major Event - Chham
The core event of the festival is Chham, a highly choreographed sacred
dance lasting for three days. A select group of monks dressed in
magnificent robes and wearing masks representing various divinities and
earthly characters perform Chham in the courtyard of
Tawang monastery to the
accompaniment of beating drum and cymbals, blowing of huge telescopic
horns and clarinets.
In the afternoon of the first day, the abbot and other monks consign the
sacrificial cake to the fire outside the compound of the monastery. On the
final day of the festival, a vase initiation is bestowed by the abbot of
the monastery to the people and after making offering and ablution rituals
in the presence of Maitreya Buddha; the image is taken for a procession on
the circumambulation path, while at the same time the giant sized brocade
Thangka is displayed for public view.
Every third year this festival is celebrated on a grander scale and is
called "Dung-gyur". During Dung-gyur the monks conduct "Mani
Dum Drub" ritual.
