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Shinjey Yab Yum, Ura Yakchoe, Chamjug: Rehearsal Day [Wide shot]

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Shinjey Yab Yum

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Title
Shinjey Yab Yum, Ura Yakchoe, Chamjug: Rehearsal Day [Wide shot]
Additional title: Dance of the Lord of Death and his Consort
Names
Core of Culture (Organization) (Producer)
Core of Culture (Organization) (Donor)
Collection

Bhutan Dance Project, Core of Culture

Dates / Origin
Date Created: 2005
Library locations
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Shelf locator: *MGZIDF 825A
Topics
Dance -- Bhutan
Folk dancing -- Bhutan
Dance -- Religious aspects -- Buddhism
Rites & ceremonies -- Bhutan
Dzongs -- Bhutan -- Bumthang (District)
Festivals -- Bhutan
Bumthang (Bhutan : District)
Ritual and ceremonial dancing -- Bhutan
Genres
Filmed dance
Filmed performances
Notes
Additional physical form: For close shot version, see: *MGZIDF 825B.
Content: Programme of the Ura Yakchoe: Day One : April 21, 2005: 3:00 pm: Procession from Gadan (a village above Ura) to Ura Lhakhang. The festival begins with a procession that leads the Gadan Lama and the Vajrapani relic from Gadan temple to Ura. The traditional Marchang reception is held at every crossroads along the way, and the procession ends with the installation of the relic in the Ura Lhakhang temple -- 4:00 pm: Chamjug (Rehearsal) Dances. Dancing begins with the rehearsal of three dances that will later be performed during the festival proper. These dances will be: Shinjey Yab Yum, Dramitse Nga-cham, Zhanag Mangcham -- 9:00 pm: The Gegtre (Exorcism) ceremony. The Gegtre (or exorcism) ceremony is held within the temple. The temple space is consecrated for the religious ceremony and all evils are duly exorcised in a bonfire ritual. The day ends with a drinking-ceremony performed by the villagers.
Venue: Videotaped in rehearsal at the Ura Lakhang, in Bumthang, Bhutan (East-facing window overlooking courtyard), on Apr. 21, 2005.
Acquisition: Gift; Core of Culture. NN-PD
Biographical/historical: The Ura Yakchoe is said to be associated with a visit to Ura by the great 8th Century saint, Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche. The story is told how the people of Ura prayed to Padmasambhava to protect them from Leprosy. The Guru answered this call and by appearing in the village disguised as a mendicant and was invited to eat lunch by an old lady who was engaged in spinning wool. She made a lunch of buckwheat pancakes (traditional Bumthang food) but was surprised to find the beggar no longer there when she called him to eat. When she later returned to her spinning she discovered a precious statue of Vajrapani lying within her wool basket. Two different versions exist of the subsequent history of the statue. In the first version, three days later the statue miraculously flies from the old lady s house to the nearby village of Gadan. Another version has it that the statue was presented to the Gadan Lam by agreement amongst all the village people of Ura. It is also said that when the statue of Vajrapani arrived in Gadan, a nine-headed snake was disturbed and slithered out of the Ura Valley. The place is still known as Puguyungdhogo (Place of the nine-headed snake.) Leprosy, a disease thought to be spread by serpents (spirits) was eventually overcome in the Ura Valley by the blessings of Vajrapani.
Biographical/historical: The festival begins on the 12th Day of the Third Month (Lunar Calendar) with the procession of the Vajrapani relic from Gadan to the Ura Lhakhang. It ends five days later, on the 16th Day of the Third Month.
Physical Description
Born digital
Extent: 1 video file (13 min.) : sound, color
Description
Shinjey Yab Yum - Dance of Yamantaka, the Lord of Death, and his Consort, each wearing wrathful Bull masks. This dance, which always occurs at the start of proceedings sees the pair clearing the arena of evil influence and blessing the site prior to the arrival on earth of the Deities that are to follow. (Shin means Death: Je means Lord) (Yab means Male: Yum means Female). The Bodhisatva Manjusiri (Jampelyang) represents the body of Wisdom of all the Buddhas. When he takes on the appearance of the terrifying Lord of Death, he is known as Shinjey (Shin is Death and Jey means Lord). As the Lord of Death he is considered to be the ruler of the Three Worlds, which are under his protection. His wrathful Bull or Buffalo face guards the four continents and blesses them before the arrival on Earth of the gods of Wisdom. Sheljor The two consorts shake their heads as they pass each other. This movement is known as sheljor - bussing or face kissing - and it shows how close the two deities are to each other. Lopoen Phuntsho of Tamzhing thinks that this sheljor is only typically found in the Shinjey dance. Tenzing-la of Tamzhing thinks that it has the function of frightening the evil spirits. Lopoen Mindu of CMA says that it represents the wrathful aspect of the two Shinjey figures.
Type of Resource
Moving image
Identifiers
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b19892446
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 6d8a4ce0-e517-0130-7fd9-3c075448cc4b
Copyright Notice
Core of Culture
Rights Statement
This item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Item timeline of events

  • 2005: Created
  • 2013: Digitized
  • 2024: Found by you!
  • 2025

MLA Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Shinjey Yab Yum" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 2005. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/702fa330-e517-0130-c7a0-3c075448cc4b

Chicago/Turabian Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Shinjey Yab Yum" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/702fa330-e517-0130-c7a0-3c075448cc4b

APA Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. (2005). Shinjey Yab Yum Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/702fa330-e517-0130-c7a0-3c075448cc4b

Wikipedia Citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/702fa330-e517-0130-c7a0-3c075448cc4b | title= (moving image) Shinjey Yab Yum, (2005)|author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library |accessdate=March 29, 2024 |publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>

Shinjey Yab Yum