TIBETAN NEW YEAR

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 142, 3 July 1937, Page 11

TIBETAN NEW YEAR

Picturesque Ceremonies

Tho British Miss'ion to Tibet has relurncd to India from Lhasa, bringijig with it a picturesque uccount of-- tbe Tibetan Ncw' Year ceremonies. *The t Tibet ans bclieve that before you' can usher in an anspicious ISTcw Year all the evil influcnccs that have accumulated duirng the old ono must'be driven out. A dcvil dauco is accordinglj* hcld in Ihe groat Eastcm Court of? tbe Potala (Paiaco)' at Lbasa on ihe 29tli day of thc last month. All oflicials from the llcgcut downwards aro- presont. ' I Tbe ccrcmony wilnesscd by the Bri- •• tish Mission incjudcd a danco .ltisting 2J hours tq the strains of a band. of lamas (monks) playing cymbals, drums and trumpets. Hasbang, tho Chinese priest-god of happiness, attcnded by aarvanls weariug death *s head masks, jresided over the danccs, seatcd ou a %

throne. Eirst danceis in demon mashs pirouetted with arms outstrfetehed, then in ' lmrricd performers grotesqucly musked and crowned with skulls. 2sText four dancers Tepresenting • skeletons scattered ashes from their bony fingers before caperihg round tlio 'image ot a coipso. There was an awed hush as a tall magician in ropes "cmbroidered with skulls and with an apron of bonos wovo spells with a skull and ihe reprusoutation of i a thunderbolt. Lamas murchcd in in procession and ainid ceri.e niusic the magician brandislied skulls over thc corpse, which was timi/ covcrcd , wi.fh blood and water. A papcr with a pieture of all the dovils was burnt on it and finally came a pro cessiou of soldiers ln ancient ormou> •ind pluw*.d helmets a'nl of lamas with ccuscrs. Aniid a fusill»d« of fkots ihe dcvils wue routed.