Celebrating the victory of good over evil

• A Cham Lama performance was held during the celebration of Buddha Jayanti at Tupchiling Gompa in Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh.

Cham Lama Dance

• The Cham dance is a form of dance that is performed during Buddhist festivals, such as Losar (the Tibetan New Year), and Buddha Jayanti.
• The traditional Cham Lama dance is usually performed at Tibetan monasteries during special Buddhist festivals.
• It is performed in the traditional Vajrayana or Tantric schools of Buddhism in India, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, and Tibet.
• Cham dance was introduced in the eighth century by Padmasambhava to subjugate the local demons that were obstructing the building of the first monastery in Tibet.
• It is believed that the Cham dance is performed to exorcise evil spirits and demons.
• The performance involves monks in elaborate and colourful masks, headgear and costumes dancing slowly to the music played using traditional instruments such as drums and cymbals also performed by monks.

Prelims Take Away

• Cham lama Dance
• Buddhism
• Jainsism