11/12/2020
Sikkim is a state in northeast India, bordered by Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal. Part of the Himalayas, the area has a dramatic landscape that includes India’s highest mountain, 8,586m Kangchenjunga, India’s highest peak.
Sikkim is also home to glaciers, alpine meadows and thousands of varieties of wildflowers, with more than 30% of the state covered by the Kanchenjunga National Park.
The celebrations for Pang Lhabsol Festival are held on the 15th day of the 7th month of Tibetan Lunar Calendar every year, which according to English Calendar, falls somewhere between the August-September timeframe. While this mystical festival is celebrated across Sikkim at different locations and monasteries, an extravagant carnival is staged on the grounds of the Tsuklakhang Monastery in Gangtok. Both tourists and locals including Bhutias, Lepchas and Nepalis take part in the festivities with great enthusiasm showcasing the vibes of communal harmony in the state.
The colourful festival of Pang Lhabsol is replete with some elaborate rituals, prayers and thrilling dance performances by monks and lamas; amongst them the most famous and the one that keeps the visitors hooked to their positions is the awe-inspiring warrior dance called ‘Pang-Toed Chaam’ that aims at invoking the guardian deity, Mt. Kanchenjunga; Lamas wearing fiery red-faced masks with crown of five skulls, riding on a snow-lion represent the guardian angel and simply provide for a spectacular show with their enthralling dance and acrobatic moves on eclectic sounds of echoing drums and cymbals. The entry of Mahakala, the protector of Dharma, is profoundly awaited amidst the dance and which brings about a dramatic twist to the whole performance.
Pang Lhabsol finds a special place in the hearts of people from the Bhutia and Lepcha communities who celebrate this day commemorating the oath of “Blood Brotherhood” taken by the chiefs of two communities under the witness of Mt. Kanchenjunga during the 15th century.
