18/04/2026
Namchen Nekor is an ancient pilgrimage to the sacred Namchen mountains in Arunachal Pradesh. This pilgrimage is guided by the local monks of the Sangti Valley. The devotees are taken to mystic places which holds it’s own functional significance. With their final destination being the Du Kang cave, where, according to the legend, the great Guru Padmasambhava meditated and performed miracles in the residing hills.
Every year during Buddha Purnima, these pilgrimages are practised for the devotees to purify themselves from sins. In this video, one can learn about the Entry gate before the Du Kang Cave, explained by the local guide. It is known that we all carry spirits from different places that follow us in the forests, and as soon as we enter the Cave gates, they are forbidden to enter; hence, this is the first step of purification.
There are various myths around this cave and the valley, and according to the worshipers, they believe that there exists a portal to another realm into a world that is similar to ours. Some say there is an invisible village here.
As one enters the hills, it itself starts to feel like a monastery of rocks and formations resembling entrances, crowns, and even statues. The landscape in itself feels sacred enough even before actual monasteries were built. Towards the end, one passes through numerous caves where the pure ones pass through without getting stuck, and once you are out of it, it is also believed that your past sins are erased. There is another narrow cave known as the womb, where passing through it symbolises rebirth.
For generations, sages and monks have come here to meditate. A journey built on community efforts where folks walk together, sing, share food, and apply rice powder on each other’s faces as a gesture of joy and connection. This entire journey holds many chapters of life, death, forgiveness, and renewal, each bringing an evocative thought in the devotee's mind.
For it is more about people in the different stages of life who participate, whether as a ritual or a casual practise, the seed of belief which follows them as a shadow.
Namchen Nekor | 29th April - 03th May 2026
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