Most people picture Buddhist monks quietly meditating or praying by themselves in their monastery, but come festival time that’s hardly the case. Chaams dances, or mask dances, are a ritual performed by particular Buddhist sects like the Tibetan Buddhists in North India, Bhutan and Tibet that attract visitors to the gompa (monastery) courtyard wanting to catch a glimpse of the colourful event.
Blaring horns and hypnotic beating drums play a soundtrack for the dance. A fitting soundtrack that’s intense enough to allow the sacred nature of the event to be felt and loud enough to fill the open gompa courtyard.
The costumes further draw in the audience. The masks depict different deities and animals, considered to be the same ones we meet after death, which they use to tell stories in an interpretive dance. The dancers are transmitting religious values to people, warding off evil spirits and introducing peace for the new year.
The dances are a slow affair. The movements consist mostly of measured steps and twirls, but it can get intense at times. The music often builds to a crescendo when the dancing speeds up or in some cases the dancer dressed like an animal will get on all fours and really embrace their animal nature. The dancer may emulate a hunting animal and thrash about on the ground pretending to tear apart the flesh of the animal before throwing the entrails around.
Ladakh, in India’s far north, is a fine place to watch mask dances. The region is filled with serene monasteries, some of which invite travellers to stay with them. And the monks from the tantric Buddhist tradition in these parts have a number of festivals, with a few that include the mask dances. A number of monasteries surround the main city in the region, Leh, but for those who choose not to venture out, the mask dances come right to them during the Ladakh Festival at the beginning of September, which marks the end of the tourist season. In addition to the dance, the festival also features a range of Ladakhi culture and sports from music and thangka painting exhibitions to polo and archery.
imágenes: The Mindful Word (Creative Commons BY-SA)
