The Torgya monastic festival at the GRL Monastery in Bomdila

11-14 November 2023

The Drub-Chod-Chen-Mo cum Bomdila Torgya, a four-day annual monastic event, is held at the Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling (GRL) Monastery in Bomdila. The 17th edition in 2023 featured rituals, mask dances (chams), and ceremonies for the benefit of all sentient beings, seeking to avert natural calamities, epidemics, and promote peace, health, and prosperity.

The festival opens with Phag Cham (boar dance) and Lang Cham (ox dance) to consecrate the ground and invoke protection from the deities of the four directions. Throughout the mornings, additional masked dances, such as Phur Cham (vajra dance), Dri Cham (sword of wisdom), Apa Ara Kha-Kyog (ground consecration), and Gyug Cham (stick dance), unfold. In the afternoons, there are performances by the seven Dharma protectors (Bar Wa Pun-Dun) and Monto Rokpa, celebrating the establishment of Tibet's first monastery at Samya. The final day includes concluding prayers, the distribution of blessings, and sacred items, such as the display of a mandala, a circular spiritual and ritual symbol.

On the second day, the "spiritual cake burning" is performed. The Torma is a ritual cake, made from barley flour and butter, coloured with natural dyes and shaped into symbolic forms; in this case, a skull. Consecrated through mantras and rituals, it is ceremonially burnt in a fire ritual, symbolising the destruction of negative forces, obstacles, illnesses, and misfortunes that threaten the community. It is both a spiritual offering and a ritual cleansing, central to the purpose of Torgya: to avert harm and invoke blessings for all beings.

Monks providing accompaniment during a spiritual dance at the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Torgya, at the (GRL) Monastery in Bomdila, with two “dungchen”, a long horn, cymbals and drums.

A monk presents a “khata” ceremonial scarf to a masked spiritual king.

A spiritual dance at the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Cum Bomdila Torgya.

Participants in the spiritual dance return to the main hall of the Monastery.

Participants in the spiritual dance walk from the main hall of the Monastery to the dancing ground.

The gate to the Upper Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling Monastery, with people leaving after the first day of the Torgya temple festival.

Young novice monks in the Upper Gompa of the Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling Monastery of Bomdila.

People waiting for the second day of the Torgya festival at the monastery.

Monks providing accompaniment during a spiritual dance at the Torgya, with two “dungchen”, a long horn, cymbals and drums.

A masked “clown” providing light relief during a spiritual dance at the Torgya.

Young novice monks watching the spiritual dances.

Participants in the spiritual dance at the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo temple festival return to the main hall of the Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling (GRL) Monastery in Bomdila, each accompanied by a monk.

Presenting “khata” ceremonial scarves, to the dancers at the Torgya.

Monks with ceremonial headdresses walking onto the dancing ground, playing the Buddhist ritual reed Shawn or Gya-Ling.

Audience and monks with ceremonial headdresses watching a spiritual dance.

Masked dancers walk from the main hall of the Monastery to the dancing ground.

Monks with ceremonial headdresses watching a spiritual dance.

Monks with ceremonial headdresses presented with “khata” ceremonial scarves, to the dancers at the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Cum Bomdila Torgya.

Monks with ceremonial headdresses, tea pot and Buddhist ritual Reed Shawn or Gya-Ling at the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Cum Bomdila Torgya.

Monks with ceremonial headdresses with two “dungchen”, a long horn.

Monks with ceremonial headdresses and the “Torma”, spiritual cake.

Monks with ceremonial headdresses leading the procession with the “Torma”, spiritual cake, carrying pairs of Cymbals (“Bub”) and Ritual Drum (“Choe-Nga”) at the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Cum Bomdila Torgya.

Monks with ceremonial headdresses leading the procession for the burning of the “Torma”, spiritual cake, carrying pairs of Cymbals (“Bub”) and followed by a big crowd at the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Cum Bomdila Torgya.

View of monks with ceremonial headdresses at the place where the “Torma”, spiritual cake, will be burnt. They carry pairs of Cymbals (“Bub”) and Ritual Drum (“Choe-Nga”).

Monks with pairs of Cymbals and Ritual Drums at the place where the “Torma”, spiritual cake, will be burnt.

Ritual burning of the “Torma”, spiritual cake, at the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Cum Bomdila Torgya ceremony.

Returning to the monastery after the ritual burning of the “Torma” spiritual cake.

Monks with ceremonial headdresses playing pairs of Cymbals (“Bub”) and Ritual Drum (“Choe-Nga”) back at the dancing ground.

Monks with ceremonial headdresses returning into the main hall of the Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling Monastery, at the end of the second day of the Torgya ceremonies.

Prostrating before a throne with the cutout image of the founder of the monastery at the entrance to the monastery and women carrying “khata” ceremonial shawls.

Masked dancers in front of Geshe Dondup Tsering, the abbot of the monastery, before descending to the dancing ground.

A masked dancer at the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Torgya returns up the steps to the main hall of the monastery accompanied by a monk.

Masked dancers on the terrace of the monastery, with on the steps monks with ceremonial headdresses playing the Gya-Ling, a Buddhist ritual Reed Shawn.

A spiritual dance, while monks with ceremonial headdresses play the Gya-Ling; with a monk filming.

Invited guests on the terrace of the Upper Gompa of the GRL Monastery of Bomdila.

Dancers with elaborate headdresses on the steps from the terrace to the dancing gtound.

Dancers with their headdresses return up the steps to the main hall of the monastery, each accompanied by a monk.

Masked dancers descending the terrace of the monastery to the dancing ground.

Novice monks on the terrace in front of the main entrance of the monastery during a ritual with a monk singing prayers.

People lining up to go inside the monastery for the “initiation of the White Tara” ritual, at the end of the third day of the Torgya ceremony.

Women lining up to go inside the monastery for the “initiation of the White Tara” ritual of the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Cum Bomdila Torgya.

Geshe Dondup Tsering, the Abbot of the Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling Monastery, at the entrance of the main hall during the Torgya ceremony.

Women waiting to go inside the Upper Gompa of the Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling Monastery for the “initiation of the White Tara” ritual.

A spiritual dance on the fourth and final day of the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Cum Bomdila Torgya.

A spiritual dance at the Torgya. It depicts a sinner begging for forgiveness in the afterlife.

A sinner paying for his sins in the afterlife in the Torgya ceremony.

A shrine in the Upper Gompa of the Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling Monastery in Bomdila.

Yamantaka Mandala in the Upper Gompa of the Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling (GRL) Monastery in Bomdila.

A wall painting in the room with the images of the three protecting gods in the Upper Gompa of the Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling (GRL) Monastery.

The three images of the protecting gods, in niches behind curtains that are now partly opened.

Sacred objects made from butter in the room with the images of the three protecting gods.

Devotees in the room with the images of the three protecting gods, in niches behind curtains that are now partly opened.