IT ISN'T MUSIC AND IT HAS NO RHYTHM.
Amplified by the dear mountain air, the cacophony of sound is
deafening. Conversation becomes impossible and all attention turns
to the temple entrance, whence a procession of solemn faced monks is
emerging. Dressed in orange silk robes, and with yellow crescent
shaped hats perched precariously on their heads, they carry an
assortment of instruments including bugles made from human bones,
giant conch shells and long, brass horns. These horns, known locally
as dun chen, issue the deep, hoarse notes that herald the
unforgettable Mani Rimdu Festival.
Every year, in the Khumbu region of
Nepal, this Buddhist Dance Drama is enacted by the monks of
Tengboche Monastery. The site of this high altitude entertainment is
the temple, or gompa, within the monastery itself. Situated on a
generous plateau at an altitude of almost four thousand metres, the
gompa is crowned by some of the highest mountains in the world:
Thamserku (6608m), Kangteiga, (6779m) Taboche (6542m) and two
kilometres or so away, the summit of Mount Everest (8848m) peers
above the Lhotse Nuptse Wall.
Tengboche gompa is home to around 36
monks and 25 students, under the leadership of the Abbot Ngawang
Tenzin Zangbu. The Abbot spent his early years in Namche Bazaar, a
busy trading centre in the Khumbu Valley. As a small child he
expressed a wish to return home to Tengboche, a desire that
coincided with the death of the previous Abbot, Lama Gulu. It was
believed that the child might be the Lama's reincarnation, and monks
from Tengboche visited Namche Bazaar with a heap of possessions to
test him. He picked out all those that had belonged to Lama Gulu,
and from the age of five was raised at Tengboche as the Reincarnate
Lama and Guru Rinpoche of the monastery.
Tengboche translates as 'sacred bowl'
and the gompa commands a view over a clearing ringed by dwarf firs
and rhododendrons. The land below is occupied during the autumn
trekking months by groups of western tourists. The festival of Mani
Rimdu is a three day affair, taking place straight after October's
full moon. Sherpas and travellers alike flock to the scene to be
entertained, and educated about the fundamentals of Buddhism as
practised by the Sherpa people of Nepal.
The dances emanate from Tibet's
Rongbuk Monastery on the northern side of Mount Everest, and depict
the triumph of Buddhism over the earlier 'Bon religion. Followers of
this ancient cult believe that the world is inhabited by spirits and
supernatural forces, upon which the monks, by means of their dancing,
perform the rites of expiation and purification to give protection
to the people.
The bright, thundering procession slowly wends its way from the
gompa towards the memorial ground outside, where an expectant crowd
is gathered. The monks sit cross legged on the ground, chanting mani
or prayers as the blessing ceremony to the god of compassion, Pawa
Cherenzig, begins. These prayers invoke du, the blessing of Pawa
Cherenzig, onto small, red pellets of rice, which act as powerful
medicine to help guarantee a long and healthy life.
The rice is scattered among the crowd
while the younger monks serve hot Tibetan tea to their seniors. The
addition of rancid yak butter and salt to the tea gives it the
consistency of thick soup and a memorable flavour, probably
something like that of greasy dish water. Meanwhile, the monks take
it in turns to offer symbolic gifts of money, placed on white silk
shawls, or katas, to the Guru Rinpoche. Each kneels reverently
before the throne as the Rin poche places the kata around his neck
in the tra ditional form of blessing.
The second day of the festival is the
most keenly awaited, and the crowd gathers early, buzzing with
excited laughter and chatter. In contrast to this highly charged
atmosphere, the nuns of Devouche sit cross legged and in silence,
watching the comings and goings within the gompa. Each year they
leave their nunnery to witness the Mani Rinidu. Their wrinkled,
stoic faces reflect a way of life that is as hard as the mountain
environment in which they live.
The gompa is a square, three storied
edifice, recently rebuilt for the second time, having been destroyed
in 1989 by an electrical fire. An earthquake half a century before
demolished the original building. The entrance opens onto a
courtyard paved with large, flat stones, overlooked by public
balconies. At its centre, attached to a long wooden pole, is a
banner inscribed with prayers to be carried on the mountain winds.
Beside it is the altar, piled high with sacred objects, amongst them
a skull bowl with a silver base and lid. Musicians occupy the south
facing balcony, and in the shadows to their left sits the Guru
Rinpoche.
The addition of rancid yak butter and
salt to the tea gives it the consistency of thick soup and a
memorable flavour, probably something like that of greasy dish water.
A grey curtain masks the entrance to the gompa. A monk, playing the
role of master of ceremonies, pulls it aside to check that all is in
place. He marches around the courtyard and roughly pushes the
audience back to create space for the dancers. Finally he is
satisfied: the stage is set and the entertainment, a fourteen scene
masked dance drama, begins.
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Heralds descend the stone steps from the gompa entrance in single
file; incense bearers follow in their wake, purifying the atmosphere
in preparation for what will follow. Musicians come down, blowing
clarions and bugles, clashing cymbals and beating drums. The dun chen
players keep to their corner and issue two deep notes to bring each
dance to a close. There is no clapping or cheering; such gestures are
considered inappropriate and unnecessary.