FESTIVALS
Two festivals are occasions of special importance all over Sikkim. One
occasion is dedicated to the deity Kanchendzonga and the other to
Lossoong the Sikkimese New Year Day.
Kanchendzonga
The two day festival of dance performed during the worship
of
snowy range of Kanchanjunga (Khang-chen-dzod-nga) is a dance peculiar to
Sikkim alone. It is celebrated in September. The third Chogyal of
Sikkim, Chador Namgyal (1686-1716) introduced this dance about two and a
half centuries ago as a result of a vision.
Kanchanjunga is about 40 km from Gangtok and is the most unifying force
in the myth and identity of the state. Khang-chen-dzod-nga means the
five treasures represented by five summits of this gigantic mountain. According to tradition the five treasures are salt,
precious
stones, religious scripts, medicines and grains and invincible armour. The natural environment in which the Sikkimese live
have made them to revere, fear and worship this mountain. They believe that
their prosperity even their lives depend on the good humour of the deity, for he has the power to destroy human habitations with devastating floods and
avalanches, wash away their bridges and ruin their crops by sending
terrible hail storms down the valleys.
Kanchendzonga is portrayed as a fiery
red - countenanced deity with a crown of five skulls, riding the mythical
snow lion and holding aloft the banner of victory. Esoteric masks,
flashing
silks, opulent brocades and embroidered boots are the costumes of the dancers.
The dancers are all male. In this warrior Dance the warlike pomp and panoply,
the war deity resplendent the flaming robes, the fantastic Snow lion, comprise
the essence of the dance. This mask dance is termed as Singhi Dance
i.e. Lion Dance by Nepalese. They visualise the ferocious god of
Kanchanjunga riding over a lion and hence call this dance as Singhi Dance.
Lossoong
On Lossoong,
the Sikkimese New Year Day, Black Hat (kali topi)
Dance demonstrating the triumph of good over evil is demonstrated. This
masked dance is also performed by male dancers mostly the Lamas. The dance
revives the old story which narrates that about twelve centuries
ago King Land-Darma was slain for suppressing Buddhism in Tibet. The king was
slain
by a Lama wearing a fantastic black robe lined with white and riding a white
horse blackened with soot.
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