Tour Guide, Thimphu, Bhutan
| 6 mins read
The Three day annual festival locally known as Kangso Chhenmo will be held on 15th November, 2014 at Namdroel Ugyen Chholing at Drametse under Mongar Dzongkhag. People from Drametse, Narang and Ballam Gewogs under Mongar Dzongkhag and the adjoining villages under Trashigang Dzongkhag will attend to witness the sacred treasure Vajra dances revealed by Terton Pema Lingpa, who was the quintessential Bhutanese master. The event is the most revered by the community for whom it is the year’s major festival.
On the eve of the Kangso Chhenmo, a grand fire ritual ceremony is performed in the courtyard of the Monastery by the lay monks (Gomchens) and monks of Drametse which begins from 10 p.m. to 3. a.m. the next morning. The fire ceremony is accompanied by sacred Vajra dances of Zhanag, Rujen and Ging and these mystifying fire dances are performed only in Drametse Monastery. Legend has it that this grand fire ceremony originated with the funeral ceremony performed by Ani Choeten Zangmo soon after the final spiritual achievement of Dzogchen practice of 3 years while abiding in the state of primordial nature. She through the divine eye foresaw one human sized caterpillar entrapped under the huge unbreakable stone at the time of digging the foundation stone of the Drametse monastery in 1511. It is believed that the insect was born in an unending and tormented hell impaled by hardships of inaccessibility for aeons after the ripening of negative karma.
Ani Choten Zangmo as the wisdom Dakini was predestined for freeing the tormented insect and from thereon, the annual grand fire ceremonies with Vajra dances were continuously performed in Drametse monastery and became the annual event in the 10th Bhutanese month locally known as Dawa Chupa Kangsol Chenmo. It is customary that by the 1st day of Kangsol Chenmo, the agricultural produces are harvested otherwise the domestic animals are all freed and any claim of damages/loss caused by animals can not be entertained as all the people are supposed to be attaining the fire ceremony and receive its blessings.
On the first day of Kangso Chhenmo, Pema Lingpa Thongdrol, the first of its kind in the world will be displayed to the devotees at 5 p.m. followed by 10 types of sacred dances including the famous drum dance of Drametse. On the 2nd day the thanks giving ceremonies to the tutelary deities known as Tenzug Korcham will be performed followed by 7 sacred dances. On the concluding 3rd day five different mask dances will be performed and all these dances are performed according to the texts of Peling Terchoe. It is said that some of these Vajra dances because of its sacredness are displayed only in Drametse Monastery, the place of its origin. The famous drum dance of Drametse is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible World Heritage for humanity.
Drametse Monastery has great social, religious and artistic significance. Drametse literally means ‘peak without enemy’ which is a state of total freedom from the nets of conception attainable through Dzogchen practices of Peling Terchoe revealed by the famous Bhutanese religious master Terton Rigdzin Pema Lingpa(1450-1521). The Drametse monastery is one of the most important and vibrant monasteries’ founded by Ani Choeten Zangmo in 1511 and her Kudung, the physical remains is preserved to this day as the most important relic. There is a skull of a Dakini with the self –arisen syllables OM AH HUNG. These syllables are clearly projected on the outer surface of the skull in three dimensions.
It is said that this object of veneration was brought to Bhutan from Samye Monastery, after it was rediscovered by Terton Pema Lingpa during one of his visit to Lhasa. Samye was believed to have been hidden by Guru Rinpoche and wisdom Dakini Khandro Yeshi Tshogyal after completion of construction of the Samye Monastery in 769. It was kept in the Ten Gam (Treasure Box) of Tamzhing Lhuendrup Choeling until Ani Choeten Zangmo attended the age of sixteen, and fled from Bumthang to escape a proposal of marriage with the son of feudal lord known as Chokhor Deb Kunthub. She received this sacred object as a share of an inheritance from her father Tenzin Chogyal, son of Sangdag who in turn was the youngest son of Terton Pema Lingpa. Words cannot describe the wonder of these precious objects of veneration and the origin of this most sacred Kapala is narrated in Chapter 22 of Pema Kathang.
Owing to the blessedness of this precious object of veneration, Drametse was blessed by the birth of three successive incarnations of the Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal: Zahbdrung Jigme Drakpa (1791-1830), Zhabdrung Jigme Norbu (1831-1861), and Zhabdrung Jigme Chogyal (1862-1904). Amongst the three eminent brother Tulkus born to the same parents, the eldest was Zhabdrung Thuktrul Jigme Chogyal, the middle son Tango Trulku Kunga Drakpa and the youngest son was the 7th Gangteng Trulku Tenpai Ninjey.
These three siblings were popularly referred as the “ Zhabdrung Punsum” or the “Choje Namsum” Their mother was Ache Singye Drolma, descended from the lineage blessed by the Goddess Dhatveshvara and their father Chojey Kincho Wangdi from Tamzhing, a descendant of Pema Lingpa’s lineage. Nyizer Trulku Kinzang Rinzin was also born in Drametse from the same lineage.
Gelong Nyerchen Drep alias Nyerchen Dreb Tshering Dorji, the noted Bhutanese historian was the half brother of the “Zhabdrung Punsum” who served as Nuerchen of both Punakha and Thimphu. Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering is the living descendant of Gelong Nyerchen Dreb, the Drametse Chojey.
Until the appointment of His Eminence Sungtrul Rimpoche, the 11th re-incarnation of Terton Pema Lingpa by His Majesty in 1992, the late Royal Grand Mother Gyalyum Phuntsho Choden Wangchuk was the patron and owner of Drametse Monastery. Under the spiritual guidance of His Eminence Sungtrul Rinpoche, many structural improvements have been taken place such as the installation of a gilded rooftop in 1998 and consecration of Pema Lingpa Thongdrol in 2001.
For nearly five centuries, Drametse Monastery has remained as the secret repository of the innermost teachings and traditions of Pema Lingpa and even today, its ancient spiritual rhythms remain uninterrupted. Among its traditional activities is the oldest annual and unique Kangsol Chenmo where entrancing sacred dances of Pema Lingpa’s Terma revelations are performed by lay monks, who leap, whirl and beat drums of a spiritual nature.
The preservation and rise of the Buddha dharma in Drukyul is due to the meritorious deeds of our ancestors and also due to our benevolent and visionary kings. This is part of the reason, the members of Bhutanese royal family are known for having a strong tradition of patronage and support for the Buddha dharma, especially the queens.The narrow 18 km mountain motor road with twisted 32 zigzags leading to Drametse Monastery was constructed in 1981. The festival and area has a great tourism potential.
By Sangye Wangdi from Drametse
Ex. Councillor