© Penelope Gan – All Rights Reserved – Enchey Monastery – Sikkim, INDIA

The Lamas in Enchey Monastery performs the Baag Chaam on the 28th and 29th of the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar based on the reading of the Guda – a 130-paged cho (prayers). Unlike other places, dances in Enchey is small and private. However, making up for its lack of numbers in lamas, the dances in Enchey is varied and includes:

the RolChaam (cymbal dance)
the Tshamche (animal headed mask dance),
the Shyak (dance of the horned animals),
the Namding (dance of winged animals),
the Thakshobalap (dance of the beast of prey),
the Dorjee Lopon (single black hat dance),
the Hdur (skeleton dances),
the  Shanag (black hat dance),
the Thoma Tshoglen (dance of wrathful deities)
and Shawa Chaam (stag dance)

The RolChaam is extraordinary in Sikkim with it being introduced to the Tsuklakhang Monastery by Chogyal Chgdor Namgyal. With the reading of a one-page pacha (prayer book) from Guda, the RolChaam is performed by 12 Chaampons (dancers): aided by four pairs of rolmo (cymbals), four pairs of nga (drums), and four pairs of silnyen (mini cymbals).

The music and dance movements, which is an anti-clockwise slow, fluid movement, signifies a musical offering to the presiding deities of the locality as well as the monastery.