![]() Down the back hangs the Gyab-dar, a cloth which falls from head gear to ankle and is tucked in at the waist. The latter bears the dorje, the thunderbolt sceptre which is a mystical symbol of Tibetan Buddhism. Rich brocade and satin with gold embroidery go into the making of the gown and cape. The monastic dance costumes form an integral and fascinating part of the chaam. Within this story are the elements of the masked dance itself-the rooting out of apostasy, or evil and the victory of good-all played out in a fierce and splendid drama whose echoes vibrate in the chaams of today. When he emerged on the other bank, the pony was snow-white and this miraculous transformation fooled the pursuers and the lama escaped unharmed. ![]() But he eluded capture by plunging into the Kyi-chu river. In the resultant chaos, the lama escaped on a black pony, with the king's guard in hot pursuit. As the disguised lama drew near the king, he whipped out his bow and arrow and aimed the fatal shot. His dancing got him the attention of the king, who summoned him to his presence. The Lama disguised himself as an itinerant Devil Dancer, within his ample sleeves he concealed a bow and arrow. This apostate king was assassinated in the third year of his reign by Lama Pal Dorjee. He desecrated monasteries, burned sacred scripts and books and persecuted the lamas. Once crowned, Lang Darma began his vicious efforts to uproot Buddhism. The treacherous prince instigated violence against the King and was instrumental in the murder of Ral-Pa-Chen, after which he ascended the throne. But there was also a malignant influence in the person of his brother, Lang Darma, who offered a reverse prayer to harm the faith. He also endowed the monasteries with the grant of lands. He had many important scriptures and commentaries translated into Tibetan. In the 9th century, a devout and pious king in Tibet, Ral-Pa-Che, devoted much of his time to Buddhism. The legend surrounding the origins of chaam is fascinating. The scattered remains are not merely the annihilation of the diabolical forces, but they also constitute an offering, signifying the tantric union of wisdom, preaching and action and consecrated to the five Dhyani Buddhas. Here, the masks of the stag, the yak, the tiger, the lion, the mythical winged garuda, walk in slow and measured steps, to the clash of cymbals and the sound of the trumpets, the dancers act out the destruction of apostasy symbolized by an effigy which is chopped to pieces and scattered. Elaborate costumes and masks are the hallmarks of the Dance of the Masquerades-Sha-Yak and Nam-Ding-where the dancers assume animal faces. All this heralds the actual drama, whose principal figure is Mahakala, and it is his presence that invokes other protective deities. ![]() Richly attired dancers file into the monastery courtyard and as they swirl in rich colour, incense bearers circulate among the audience, purifying the atmosphere. Cymbals clash, and ceremonial drums and gongs sound in rhythmic unison and mark the start of the dance. These notes are reciprocated by the deep muted thunder of the radong, long copper horns, blown from outside the gompa. The commencement of Chaam is announced from within the gompa by the steady drone of the kangling, an instrument like a trumpet.
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