TIBETAN NEW YEAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 254, 26 October 1937, Page 3

TIBETAN NEW YEAR

Picturesque Ceremonies

Tho British Mission to Tibet has re turned to India from Lhasa, bringing with, it a picturesque account of the Tibetan New Year ceremonies. The Tibet:.iis believe that before you can Usher in a. auspicious New Year all the evil influences that have accumulated duirng the old one must be driven out. A devil dance is accordingly held in the great Eastern Court of the Potala (Palace) at Lhasa on the 29th clay of the last month. All cflicinls from the Regent downwards are pre Fent. The ceremony witnessed by the Bn tish Mission included a dance lasting hours to the strains of a band of «auias (monks) playing cymbals, drums and trumpets. Hasliang, the Chinese priest-god of happiness, attended by ervants wearing death’s bead masks, resided over the dances, seated on a

throne. First dancers in demon mask.' pirouetted with arms outstretched, then in hurried performers grotesquely masked and crowned with skulls Ne*t four dancers representing scattered ashes from their bony fingers before capering round the image ol a ccip.se. There was awed hush ns a tall magician in ropes embroidered with skulls ami with an apron of bones wove spells with a skull and the rep re senlation of a thunderbolt. Lamas inarched in in procession and amid eerie music thy magician brandished «kulls over the corpse, which was then covered with blood and water. A papjr with a picture of all the devils was burnt on it and finally came a pro cession of soldiers tn ancient armoui and plui.ivd helmets anl of lamas with censers. Amid a fusillade of shots the devils were routed.