Additional Physical Form: For close shot version, see: *MGZIDF 747B.
Biographical/Historical: The festival is held in honor of Guru Rinpoche, the saint who introduced Buddhism in the 8th century and to commemorate the establishment of the Nabji temple. -- Bhutan Travel Club website.
Content: Nabji Drup, Second Day (Dec. 25, 2005): Zheng Zhi Pem - Ritual for Longevity ; Shinjey Yab Yum - Dance of the Lord of Death and his Consort ; Nyulemai Cham - The Dance of the Evil Spirit (Peling) ; Jug Ging - Dance of the Ging with Batons ; Durdag - Dance of the Four Lords of the Charnel Grounds ; (Peling) Dri Ging - Dance of the Ging with Swords ; (Peling) Nga Ging - Dance of the Ging with Drums ; Jakchung Berchung.
Venue: Videotaped in performance at the Nabji Lhakang (on raised wall looking at the Lhakang along the right diagonal), in Trongsa, on Dec. 25, 2005.
Acquisition: Gift; Core of Culture. NN-PD
Biographical/Historical: The Nabji Drup begins after dark with the entrance of the GAPO-LA - the oldest man - who carries a phallus and engages in lewd banter with the audience.

Physical Description

Extent: 1 video file (ca. 21 min.) : sound, color

Abstract

The Dance of the Nyulema - or Evil Spirit - most often precedes the arrival of the Ging (avenging punishers of Evil) who perform three dances as they search out, conquer and celebrate their victory over the nyulema. In this dramatic performance the Evil spirit first tries to win the crowd over to his evil ways - and is ably supported in his antics by the attendant atsaras - who also tease the nyulema mercilessly. Zhauli is a dialect word for Nyulema in Bumthang. The Nyulema is an Evil spirit and this extended dance dramatises both his methods of creating mischief and his ultimate discovery and capture by the Ging (who are avenging spirits sent to punish those who transgress). Nyulemai Cham is generally performed prior to the Peling Ging Sum - the three dances of the Ging revealed by Terton Pema Lingpa. At first the nyulema dances together with the atsaras, who act as willing accomplices, and interpret his actions to the crowd. His chief goal is to win the spectators over to his evil ways. The nyulema represents something present in every human being: the three poisons (Doksum and

Identifiers

NYPL Catalog ID (bnumber): b19807059
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 33515e60-e377-0130-b703-3c075448cc4b

Access

Core of Culture

Rights

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).

Type Of Resource

Moving Image

Cite this item

MLA format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Nyulemai Cham, Nabji Drup: Second Day [Wide shot]" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 2005. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/33515e60-e377-0130-b703-3c075448cc4b

APA format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. (2005). Nyulemai Cham, Nabji Drup: Second Day [Wide shot] Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/33515e60-e377-0130-b703-3c075448cc4b

Chicago/Turabian Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Nyulemai Cham, Nabji Drup: Second Day [Wide shot]" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed December 11, 2025. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/33515e60-e377-0130-b703-3c075448cc4b

Wikipedia citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/33515e60-e377-0130-b703-3c075448cc4b | title= (moving image) Nyulemai Cham, Nabji Drup: Second Day [Wide shot] (2005) | author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library | accessdate=December 11, 2025 | publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>