Zhana Chham

Zhana (The Black Hat Dance)

This ground purification rite is also performed on the occasions of construction os dzongs, temples, stupas etc. Its aim is to concililate the malevolent beings of the ground in order to take possessions of the site from them.

Costume: Large black hat, felt boots, long colorful brocade gown, no mask.

The black hat dancers assume the appearance of Yogis who have the power of killing and recreating life. In order to lead to the field of Buddha, beings who cannot be led by peaceful means, they subdue these enemies of the doctrine through their external compassionate anger but internally they have an accomplished peaceful mind. They have the appearance of tantrists who do well to beings through terrifying but accomplished acts such as killing and expelling bad spirits. The five poisonous enemies, which are the sins, disappear in the sphere of emptiness.

This dance can also be referred as “Gar Cham”, derived from the different traditions of the tantras (text of Northern Buddhism). They say that with the help of the Gods who have meditated deeply upon the mantras (sacred formula), the “gar” which are the gestures of the dancers hands are transformed into mudras (sacred mystic gestures) and their feet which pound the earth in order forming a mandala (mystic geometric figure).

The Black Hat Dancers who performs the ritual for the earth firstly build a mandala and then cut the demons into pieces. Thus, they take possessions of the earth in order to further protect it and they dance the step of the thunderbolt to impress their power on it. (The thunderbolt step is a particular step in the religious dances)

To draw the mandala they use a practice from the “Tantra without Superior” (a text called Lamey Gyu), which is not known in the Hinayana (Small path of Buddhism). Because these three practices are so special the very act of seeing them purifies and drive away the mass of mental darkness, which has been collected during ages (Kalpa) and the inner and outer obstacles are pacified. Because of its importance, Zhabdrung himself used to perform this ritual.

Zhana Nga Chm (Black Hat Dance with Drums)

In honour of the victory of religion over the enemies, the Black Hats beat the drums, the sound of which resounds throughout the Three Worlds. Then when the Black Hat Dancers have destroyed the wicked enemies who persecuted the beings and the Buddhists, they beat the great drums s Buddhism. The soundof the drums represents the religion itself, which cannot be represented in any other way because it has no visible form.