Spiritual Dance (5), Tibetan Buddhist Monastery

Spiritual mask dance by monks at the Drub-chod-Chen-Mo Cum Bomdila Torgya ceremony in the Gontse Gaden Rabgyel Ling Monastery in Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, far northeast India, 12 November 2023. Clowns, also wearing a mask, provide light relief during the performance; they sometimes seem to mock the dancers; this is all part of the otherwise solemn occasion. Some dancers, accompanied by “dungchen” (a long horn) and drums, carry blue swords, symbolising good forces. Another group of dancers have deer masks. At the end, each dancer is accompanied by a monk up the steps into the temple while announcements are made; one of the monks has also been filming the dance.
• Spiritual Dance (5), T...