Losar at Bylakuppe : Part 2/2
a synchronized dance as part of the Losar celebrations, Namdroling monastery, Bylakuppe.
The preparations for the celebration were already underway in the courtyard of the Namdroling monastery when we reached there at close to 9 in the morning. An area of the courtyard had been set up as a temporary tent under which the dances would take place and mats were being placed around for the monk body to sit on. Prayers were already underway as a group of four chanted along with the tape-player to the beat of the drum while the clarinets and the long pipes sounded once in a while. The locals from the tibetian camps were already there, with many of them carrying beads and prayer wheels in their hands.
The head of the monastery arrived in a car and headed to his seat on the first floor where Steven Seagal was already waiting for him and this was the official start of the celebrations. The whole monk body had already settled down and then started the dances. One group of men and another of women came in from different locations in their colorful dresses and did a synchronized dance as they circled around, while singing alternatively songs which sounded simple. Different songs had them going back to their rooms and returning in a slightly modified costume, one time with a drum and another time with flowers hidden in their sleeves.
The dancers received white scarves(khata offering) from the head monk and many others after the performance and then it was time for their photo session with Seagal while at the same time a group of monks were busy cleaning up the bottles and cups from the area and the locals mingled and greeted old friends.
Losar at Bylakuppe
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deepsan) wrote,
