Dri Ging, Paro Tsechu, Day Two [Close shot]

Item data

Title

Dri Ging, Paro Tsechu, Day Two [Close shot]

Collection

Bhutan Dance Project, Core of Culture

Names

Core of Culture (Organization) (Producer)
Padma Sambhava, approximately 717-approximately 762 (Honoree)
Core of Culture (Organization) (Donor)

Date / Origin

Date Created: 2005

Table Of Contents

Paro Tsechu Programme Day Two: (Outside the Dzong): Shinjey Yab Yum - Dance of the Lord of Death and his Consort ; Zhanag Nga Cham - Dance of the Black Hats with Drums ; Jug Ging - Dance of the Ging with Batons ; Durdag - Lords of the Charnel Grounds ; Dri Ging - Dance of the Ging with Swords ; Nga Ging - Dance of the Ging with Drums ; Shawa Shachi - Dance of the Stag and the Hounds (NB: not all the dances were filmed on this day).

Library Location

Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Shelf locator: *MGZIDF 660B

Subjects

Dance -- Bhutan
Folk dancing -- Bhutan
Dance -- Religious aspects -- Buddhism
Rites & ceremonies -- Bhutan
Dzongs -- Bhutan -- Paro (District)
Paro (Bhutan : District)
Masks -- Bhutan
Festivals -- Bhutan
Sword-dance -- Bhutan

Genres

Filmed Dance
Filmed Performances

Notes

Venue: Videotaped at the Paro Dzong (looking across the inner courtyard at ground level), on Mar. 22, 2005.
Acquisition: Gift; Core of Culture. NN-PD
Biographical/Historical: The annual Paro Tshechu is held from the 9th till the 15th of the 2nd month every year. It was first introduced by Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye in 1687, while the tshechu was initially held in the dzong, after the reconstruction in 1906 it was held outside. The highlight of the tshechu is the Thongdol which is believed to deliver from all sins. The Thongdol that was saved from the fire of 1906 was built by Lama Nawang Rabgay and is considered one of the oldest in Bhutan. It was slightly renovated by the government about twenty years ago. The material for the Thongdol was brought from Lhasa in Tibet.
Biographical/Historical: The history of Ringpung Dzong (Palace of the heap of jewels) or Paro Dzong: The construction of the Paro Dzong began in 1644 on the order of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of modern day Bhutan. Unlike most of the other dzongs in Bhutan, it survived the massive 1897 earthquake although it was damaged by fire in 1906.
Biographical/Historical: Paro Tshechu is held from the 11th to 15th day of the 2nd month of the Bhutanese calendar every year. The Tshechu proper begins with a Chamjug or rehearsal day on the 10th day of the 2nd month, and ends on the 16th day of the 2nd month with a day of dances at Dzongdrakha (see the records in BDA) monastery above Bondey.

Physical Description

Extent: 1 video file (ca. 20 min.) : sound, color

Abstract

The Peling Ging-Sum (the three dances of the Ging in the Pema Lingpa tradition) are three dances that are performed around the country in a particular sequence. The Ging-Sum comprises three dances: Jug Ging, Dri Ging and Nga Ging which show the forces of good in direct combat with evil spirits who plague living beings with their constant suasions to commit wrong. Jug means baton or wand and the Jug Ging are spirits tasked to search out the presence of evil (using their wands as sensitive instruments to find out the direction in which evil lies). The Dri Ging - who carry swords - subjugate evil with their weapons before punishing and slaying (with compassion) any such evil spirits found. The Nga-ging - who each carry a drum - perform a victory dance at having overcome the evil spirits, and also ensure that even those conquered evil spirits are still prayed for and ultimately liberated from their evil ways. These three dances are considered to have been reveled by Terton Pema Lingpa in the 16th Century - and they are thus known as ter-cham or (revealed) treasure dances. They express a coherent choreographic and dramatic intention on the great Saint's part. They are most often performed together with nyulemai cham (Dance of the Evil Spirit) which serves as an active and visible reference to the existence of evil in the world - and the nyulema is often captured and dispatched by the Jug bearing Ging of the first of these dances.

Identifiers

NYPL Catalog ID (bnumber): b19768412
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 51a69100-8292-0130-3fc9-3c075448cc4b

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

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