Besides the monastic dances performed for three days during the Torgya festival, there are many other dances performed on different occasions. Some of them are:
Aji Lhamu Dance - Also known as ‘ Lhambro’ this is a prominent folk dance portraying the Tibetan version of Ramayana. The dance is generally performed during the Losar festival. There are five characters in this dance each having a mythological origin. They are the Gyeli, Nyapa, Nyaro and two other female characters, Lhamu Abu and Lhamu Zomu. Lhamu was the fairy from heaven who later became the queen of Gyali.
The dance also depicts the marriage ceremony of Lhamu with King Chhoegey Norzong presented by Gyali. This dance is performed during the Losar Festival.
Yak Dance- The Yak dance is one of the most famous dances of the Monpas. The masked dancers represent the members of the family who are said to have discovered the yak with the help of a magical bird hundreds of years ago. The discovery of the Yak resolved the family’s internal property disputes and provided a permanent source of wealth and property to the entire community.
Lion and Peacock Dance- This is yet another beautiful and popular form of dance where one dancer dresses up in a lion costume and the other in a peacock costume.This dance displays the story of a saint named Tenteling who performed an extremely difficult fast meditation at the mythical mountain Gangri- Karpo in the Himalayas for three years. The two snow lions that lived on the ridges of the mountain witnessed this severe and pious life of the saintsaint. They befriended him and gave him their milk and company. Overjoyed by this relationship between man and animals, the people danced and till today this dance is performed thus signifying the harmony that could exist between man and animal.
Aji Lhamu Dance - Also known as ‘ Lhambro’ this is a prominent folk dance portraying the Tibetan version of Ramayana. The dance is generally performed during the Losar festival. There are five characters in this dance each having a mythological origin. They are the Gyeli, Nyapa, Nyaro and two other female characters, Lhamu Abu and Lhamu Zomu. Lhamu was the fairy from heaven who later became the queen of Gyali.
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| Aji Lhamu Dance Tawang |
The dance also depicts the marriage ceremony of Lhamu with King Chhoegey Norzong presented by Gyali. This dance is performed during the Losar Festival.
Yak Dance- The Yak dance is one of the most famous dances of the Monpas. The masked dancers represent the members of the family who are said to have discovered the yak with the help of a magical bird hundreds of years ago. The discovery of the Yak resolved the family’s internal property disputes and provided a permanent source of wealth and property to the entire community.
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| Yak Dance Tawang |
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| Loin and Peacock Dance Tawang |
Beautiful description of the cultural significance in India. ♥♥
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