TitleShinjey Yab Yum, Ura Yakchoe: 2nd Day of Festival [Close shot]
Additional title: Dance of the Lord of Death and his Consort
NamesCore of Culture (Organization) (Producer)Core of Culture (Organization) (Donor)
CollectionBhutan Dance Project, Core of Culture
Dates / OriginDate Created: 2005
Library locationsJerome Robbins Dance DivisionShelf locator: *MGZIDF 829B
TopicsDance -- BhutanFolk dancing -- BhutanDance -- Religious aspects -- BuddhismRites & ceremonies -- BhutanMasks -- BhutanSword-dance -- BhutanDzongsFestivals -- BhutanBumthang (Bhutan : District)Ritual and ceremonial dancing -- BhutanMask dances -- BhutanAnimal dances -- Bhutan
GenresFilmed danceFilmed performances
NotesAdditional physical form: For wide shot version, see: *MGZIDF 829A.Content: Programme of the Ura Yakchoe: Day Two: April 22, 2005: 3:00 am: Wake up call - The lama and the monks are woken up by the Gathpo clown, by a monk blowing the Jaling (oboe) and by singing girls -- 4:30 am: The morning ritual The lama and the monks assemble to perform the sadhana ceremony of Vajrapani and the invocation of Padmasambhava within the temple -- 8:00 am: Public call The monks perform monastic music on the temple roof to summon the village to the temple grounds. The villagers begin their breakfast round -- 9:00 am: Fetching of Masks The monks who will perform mask dances fetch the masks needed for the day from the upper shrine room -- 10:00 am: Lunch The monks have an early lunch -- 11:00 am: Start of Masked Dances and Folk Dances From 11am, the monks perform mask dances and the village girls perform folk dances alternately. These Masked dances include: Atsara Cham (The dance of the clowns), Shinjey - (The dance of the male and female Yamantaka), Zhanag Cham - (The dance of the Black Hats), tse Nga-cham - (The drum dance from Dramitse) -- 3:00 pm: The Tea Offering The public joins the priests in the temple to have the tea sponsored by the individual units of the village -- 4:00 pm: Shawo Shachi - The Hound and Stag dance The first scene of the drama about the hunter Gyonpo Dorje and Milarepa is performed -- 6:00 pm: Public dances The day ends with folk dance led by the village elders -- 7:00 pm: Evening ceremony and Alcohol Tasting The priests start the evening session of rituals and the village elders assemble to taste singchang in the temple.Venue: Videotaped in performance at the Ura Lakhang, in Bumthang, Bhutan (ground-level facing north-west0, Apr. 22, 2005.Acquisition: Gift; Core of Culture. NN-PDBiographical/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 DescriptionBorn digitalExtent: 1 video file (13 min.) : sound, color
DescriptionShinjey 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 ResourceMoving image
IdentifiersNYPL catalog ID (B-number): b19892454Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 89264df0-e517-0130-7ba9-3c075448cc4b
Copyright NoticeCore of Culture
Rights StatementThis 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).
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