Ladakh: Lamas Dances
Time after time there come some big events and then Buddhist Lamas and probably their best pupils put on multicolored dresses, gaudy masks and start walking in circles drowsily waving their hands and legs.
From 1st to 15th of September there was Ladakh Festival in Leh and around. Besides national costumes and buddhist rituals it also included Polo games being there either as an essential part of Ladakhi culture or only for the sake of audience not getting too bored from excessive national specifics.
Using term ‘drowsily’, I’m not trying to mock at totally respected lamas, not in any way. But if we compare what Tibetans call a dance and what we, children of trance and rap culture usually refer to speaking about dances, then no other word can come to mind.
However, according to Buddhist point of view all our dances are a meaningless deed of body. But each of these dances’ slow movements is filled with sense.
Firstly, the dancers are wearing masks. Each of them stands for one or another yidam or, using common terms, a deity. This time there were mostly wrathful protectors.
Of course there was our dear, I would even say precious Mahakala.
Traditional protector of Kagyu lineage is being respected and loved in every of sub-lineages, no matter if it’s Karma Kaguy, Drikung Kaguy or Drukpa, this specific monastery belonging to the latter.
Second element which gives these movements even more sense is the accessories dancers standing for deities are holding in their hands.
Traditional ritual damaru dram which is chasing away demons, miscellaneous swords, daggers and phurbas cutting off unenlightened mind’s tendencies. Generally speaking these are same thankas in 3 dimensions.
A functional detail: actors are not looking through masks’ eyes as we could have expected from a mask. They are looking through their bare teeth. Yellow cloth wrapped around their faces up to noses most probably has double meaning. Both being deity’s neck and covering dancer’s mouth so that his breath would not defile anything in this divine action.
Trumpets being blown, drums beaten, lamas walk in circles jumping from time to time. In their hands there are gleaming phurbas - ritual daggers with three edges. Clothes fluttering in the wind, numerous cameras shutters clicking, it’s beautiful.
Everything is surrounded by mountains, prayer flags and golden roofs of Buddhist temples.
Skeletons come to dance among the last.
They freeze and shake jingles for a while.
Before the very ending dances bow down before old Tulku on the throne and he puts white scarves named kadaks on their necks as a form of blessing.
Continuing the dance at the same slow rate deities leave the scene. Action is finished.
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By AMANO, June 6, 2009 @ 9:56 am
I do not think you are mocking the Lamas when referring to them as being drowsy when dancing but would suggest you are misunderstanding the nature of these dances. They practice for days over the years to perfect them while rap etc assumes no acquired skill. I have seen lama dances performed many times!