Dancers performing Pa-Cham, the Dance of the Heroes. This is a dance that commemorates the victory of Buddhism over sin and transports believers directly to the presence of Guru Rinpoche. Ugyen Rinpoche is the second Buddha and the incarnations of Avalokiteshvara (Thugje Chenpo), Lord of Compassion.

This dance can be traced back to the time of Tertoen Pema Lingpa (the treasure discoverer) in 15th century. It is believed that Tertoen Pema Lingpa the great 'Treasure-Discover' arrived in the presence of Ugyen Rinpoche, at the summit of the Zangtho Pelri, in the middle of a marvelous palace of lotus beams which reflected the wisdom large and deep as the sky, without obstacles.

There he saw Ugyen Rinpoche, the Lord who leads the beings of the three worlds, sitting among his assistants in the centre of a limitless mandala which was made of lines of rainbow beams. In the mandala, the assembly of the sages, of the tutelary deities, of the heroes (pawos) and the heroines (Khandoms Pamo) were dancing in the forms of various emanations of the peaceful and terrifying deities. All sorts of dances were performed and all sorts of harmonious melodies which are the sounds of the religion of the Great Path (Northern branch of Buddhism) were sung.

Among this congregation, the assembly of the peaceful heroes and heroines is the most important. They are as numerous as the moving clouds in order to celebrate the deep and large religion and their function is to lead the believers who die into the presence of Ugyen Rinpoche.

Cham dances are considered a form of meditation, and an offering to the gods. The leader of the cham is typically a musician, keeping time using some percussion instrument like cymbals, the one exception being Dramyin Cham - where time is kept using dramyin.

source - http://www.bhutantour.bt/bhutan-news/pa-cham-dance

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