Lesser Known Aspects of Pang Lhabsol

The rise in popularity of the annual Pang Lhabsol festival has also seen a dilution of the religious aspects associated with it, the puja by the Teesta Bongthing being one such tradition on the verge of extinction, writes SD TSHERING…
The puja of Pang Lhabsol is mentioned in the Nyesol which was composed by Lhastun Chempo after he discovered the Ter of Rigdzin Sokdrup (Wyl.rig 'dzinsrogsgrub) or 'Accomplishing the Life-Force of the Vidyadharas' — a cycle of teachings revealed by him after a pure vision he had while meditating in the Cave of the Heart of the Deity to the north of Drakkar Tashiding in Sikkim. The cycle includes the famous practice of Riwo Sangchö. Nyesol contains the pujas related to the guardian deities of Sikkim which includes the Pang Lhabsol puja. Pang Lhabsol celebration has evolved since the Chogyal era from a purely religious affair to a socio-religious festival. Pang Lhabsol received a great boost during the reign of Chador Namgyal. In 1700, Chador Namgyal, seized the throne after his father’s death; he was a minor at that time. This outraged his elder half-sister Pendi Ongmu, daughter of the first wife, who ousted him with the help of the Bhutanese. Chador fled to Tibet where he remained in exile for ten years before returning and reclaiming his lost territory with the help of the Tibetans. While in Lhasa, Chador Namgyal became very proficient in Buddhism and Tibetan literature, and became the state astrologer to the sixth Dalai Lama. The sixth Dalai Lama, pleased with the erudition of Chador Namgyal, conferred on him exclusive rights to an estate in Tibet. He returned to Sikkim after the withdrawal of Bhutanese forces from Sikkim due to intervention from Tibet. He commanded that the second of every three sons of a Bhutia family must be ordained a monk of the Pemiongchi Monastery. He choreographed the Pangtoed chaam after getting a vision of the dance while in a meditative trance. Pangtoed chaam depicts the war of the generals of Khangchendzonga against evil to safeguard Sikkim. The chaam was also meant to keep alive the martial and native traditions.
During the Chogyal era, emphasis was mainly on performance of pujas but it has now transformed into celebration of the blood brotherhood swearing at Kabi Lungchock. Pang Lhabsol during the Chogyal era was celebrated at Tsuklhakhang at Gangtok though pujas were performed in all monasteries. It was customary for all villages to come to Gangtok bringing offerings to Tsuklhakhang monastery for the puja. The only exception was made to Bey, Lingzya and Tholung villages of Dzongu who were exempted from bringing offering to Gangtok due to the historical event connected to the funeral of Chogyal Tsuphud Namgyal in which these three villages were the main patrons. These three villages made their offerings at Tholung monastery and performed their pujas there. Tsuklhakhang monastery was also the venue for the Pangtoed chaam which was only performed here. The Pangtoed dancers were carefully chosen from certain castes and it was an honour to be chosen to perform the chaam. Two horses were especially bred to act as the mounts of deity Khangchendzonga and Yabdue during the Pangtoed chaam. These horses were chosen according to the specification laid down in the paychas and had to conform strictly to it. Both horses were never shod and were not used for any other purpose except for the puja.
Before the celebration at Gangtok, special threads woven from wool at the palace were sent to Pemayangtse monastery and to a Bongthing at Teesta along with other offerings for pujas to be performed at Yangdzo Drakin West Sikkim, the sacred rock symbolizing the deities of Rigdzin Sokdrup which was sanctified by Lhastun Chempo and at the four sacred caves and at Teesta. Prior to the pujas at Tsuklhakhang, a Bongthing from Nung in Dzongu used to come to the monastery to perform the pujas according to the old traditional way. This bongthing was especially trained for performing this puja and it was carried down their family for generations. It was said that when the Bongthing started his journey from Dzongu for Gangtok he was accompanied with a storm which was actually the manifestations of the guardian deities which were accompanying him. The people of Dzongu avoided the path the bongthing took on his trip to Gangtok to avoid harm by the deities. The origin of bongthings according to one song begins with the story of six Lepcha brothers who decide to become Kong Chen's (Kanchenjunga's) soldiers. When they tell their sister, she promises her brothers that when she bears children she will ensure that they worship Kong Chen and his soldiers.  On bearing a son, however, she forgets her promise and as a result Kong Chen sends a mythical serpent that coils itself at his feet across the Talung river that flows through Dzongu, damming it. As the river begins to flood, causing general panic, the son prays to Kong Chen and the waters recede. This boy, according to legend, became the first Bongthing.
Under the Chogyals, the annual ritual used to be preceded by a trek by the Bongthing, accompanied by young men from Nung, to Sikkim's capital at Tumlong near Dzongu, where they would be received by the reigning Chogyal and entertained at the royal palace. The Khangchendzonga Bongthing was especially feted. Apart from the offerings for the prayers, the Bongthing was provided ration for the year, a new set of clothes, money and gifts. In the days when the importance of the prayers was recognized, the entourage from Nung would stop at several places along the way to offer prayers at special locations on the return journey. They would take four days to reach Nung, where it normally took just a day and half. With their return would begin the Khangchendzonga prayers.
An important part of the royal offering used to be a full grown Yak bull to be offered as sacrifice at the Khangchendzonga altar at Nung. In 1973, however, the Chogyal decreed that a yak sacrifice, which had been part of the ancient ritual, should be discontinued as being against the tenets of Buddhism. Taso, it is said, believed that the discontinuation of the sacrifice displeased Kong Chen and brought an end to the 300-year-old Namgyal dynasty of the Chogyals. The last of the Nung bonthings was Samdup Tasho who passed away last year. The Khangchendzonga Bongthing used to be held in high esteem and people would make way for him when he approached. His house, now a dilapidated shell of a cottage, used to be known as Rum Vik, the Teeth of God, [Vik means both soldier and teeth in Lepcha], a name perhaps earned because of the presence of an elephant tusk – a gift from the Chogyal - that enjoyed pride of place in his altar. Alternately, Rum Vik could also mean the Soldier of God. The Bongthing’s ancestors were after all the first Lepchas to enlist as Khangchendzonga’s soldiers.

Bongthing Pem Tshering

The puja at Teesta was also performed by another Bongthing to appease the guardian dieties of Teesta and of the plains. In olden days the puja used to be performed in a jungle above Kali Jhora above Teesta but this was discontinued when the Bongthings were attacked by tigers and other wild animals. The old puja site is said to be about a five-hour hike from Kali Jhora bazaar in the jungle. Two lakes are said to have existed there one with a blood red colour and the other a milky white colour. The present Bongthing, Pem Tshering who is eighty one years old is the forty fifth generation of bongthings in his family. His family has been performing this puja for over two hundred and fifty years. He was trained by his father Pembu Lepcha for performing this puja and he started in 1962 after the death of his father. Pem Tshering was born at Changra basti above Teesta bazaar where he leads a very humble life dedicated to his puja duties. Animal sacrifices were performed during the pujas which has been discontinued. Besides performing the Pang Lhabsol puja the Bongthing also performs daily pujas for the benefit of Sikkim. The present altar site at Changra basti was purchased by the Chogyal for performing the puja.The puja at this site was started by the grand father of Pem Tshering due to the dangers at the Kali Jhora site. At present, the puja at Changra basti is sponsored by the Tsuklhakhang commitee; Rs 8000 is given to the bongthing as his yearly fee and for performing the puja. The local people of this basti also attend the puja. It may be mentioned that the puja site has been affected by a landslide and needs urgent repairs. Bongthing Pem Tshering has no son and he has trained his nephew to continue the tradition after him but how long this tradition continues will depend on the interest of the Sikkimese people in upholding this rich heritage of the state or like SamdupTasho, the Teesta bongthing too will also pass away due to our inattention. After Pangtoed chaam was stopped at Tsuklakhang in the eighties, the chaam was performed at Pemayangtse and Rabong which boosted Pang Lhabsol celebrations in these areas. Though the popularity of Pang Lhabsol has grown, the religious aspects of the festival is being diluted with more emphasis on cultural features, it would be a shame to lose such a rich religious heritage due to stress on popular demands.
[The writer is Director General-cum-Secretary, DESME, Government of Sikkim]