Buddhist Masked Dance Festival in Nepal
Kutsab Ternga Monastery
Thini, Nepal
POSTCARDS | OCT 13I met Prathikshya at the rest stop of our 10 hour bumpy bus ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara. We bonded over living in New York (her in Queens, me in Brooklyn), and she invited me to attend the Buddhist Masked Dance Festival that her village Thini was hosting. She had grown up there and had watched foreign hikers trek through her village as it was located directly on the Annapurna Circuit. The festival was set to be in a couple of weeks and I wasn’t sure if I’d arrive to the village in time since it is located about halfway through the trek, but the timing ended up working out perfectly well!
To be honest, I don’t remember all of the symbolism behind each of the dances and masks. Each masked dance tells the story of a Buddhist deity, but the specifics are lost in my mind. I do remember being caught up in the ritualism of it all. It was powerful to observe this religious Buddhist tradition and watch the monks dance and chant to ward off the evil spirits and welcome in good fortune.
A view into the Kutsab Ternga Monastery. The open square is where the mask dances took place.
The monastery was packed with locals, all eager to watch the ritualistic mask dances. Pratikshya, a member of the family hosting the event and the woman who invited me to attend, fundraised so that people from the surrounding villages could get free transport to and from the monastery. Each family in the village takes turns being the host of the festival, then the following year they become the secondary host to assist the new family with hosting.
All the dancers are monks who have trained for the dance.
The three women standing by the doorway are members of the family hosting the festival and are wearing the traditional dress of the Thakali people. The Thakali are an ethnolinguistic Tibeto-Burman ethnic group of Nepal.
Festival spectators.
Pine branches were burned in the middle of the square, forming a smoky incense.
Higher ranking monks were chanting sutras in Tibetan and playing the drums and symbols to accompany the dances.
The Himalayas provided a gorgeous backdrop to the monastery.
After the mask dances the ceremony proceed on outdoors
Locals watching the end of the ceremony
Elders from the village were invited to follow the monk in throwing out bad luck
Protecting myself on the hike to Thini - the "trail" was a windy, dusty road with Jeeps and taxis driving by. It was my least favorite section of the entire Annapurna Circuit Trek.
Approaching Kutsab Ternga Monastery where the festival was hosted
The monastery served a complimentary lunch to everyone who attended. It featured rice, yak, and potatoes.
Posing with new friends Pratikshya and Peter. Pratikshya's family are caretakers of the monastery and hosted this year's festival. Peter is a monk who follows Theravada Buddhism and is originally from Thailand. I met them on my bus ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara, and we bonded over being from New York.
Enjoying the view from the top of the new building of the Kutsab Ternga Monastery.
Pratikshya and her husband Sujin were wonderful hosts! Pratikshya grew up in Thini while Sujin grew up in Kathmandu, but they currently live in New York. I ended up meeting up with them several times while in Nepal.