The last month of each Tibetan year is dedicated to clearing negativity accumulated throughout the year. It culminates with Gutor, an extensive ceremony featuring Lama Dance (Cham). By performing traditional rituals, Tibetan monks and yogis clean the ground for an auspicious, fresh New Year (Losar) to enter.

Losar – the Tibetan New Year – is celebrated in February or March each year, as based on the Lunar calendar. In 2020, Losar falls on the 24th February.

A large namkha structure is part of Gutor in the old traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, mainly Nyingma, where it is constructed as prescribed in the sacred texts known as terma (hidden treasures). I wrote a bit about that here.

At Kagyu Monlam in Bodhgaya in 2012 and 2017, His Holiness the Karmapa performed the extensive Black Hat Dance at Gutor time. A tall, woven construction could be seen on both occasions towards the right-hand side of the stage of the Monlam Pavilion.

This effigy made of five-coloured threads wound in intricate patterns around a wooden frame was installed together with an impressive torma – an offering made out of dough, shaped as a giant head. The function of the thread construction, called namkha, is to entrap negative energies into its webs, having been lured there by the irresistible torma. His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje presided over this offering ritual.

On the day: The Karmapa performs several sacred dances together with other Lamas. Before the start of the dance, the great Hazhel torma is brought in with a great procession by monks from Rumtek Monastery and lay members of Tsurphu Labrang the stage. The Vajra Master, dressed as the Guardian of the Gate, swirles a black cloth to keep any spirits from escaping as the torma installation is moved.

The Karmapa (left) presiding over a dance. The namkha structure on the right.

Several dances are performed before the Karmapa approaches the rituals involving the torma. The Karmapa blesses the torma and effigy. 

Cham dancers, in constant meditation, circle around the construction for a short time.

The negative energies of the past year, attracted by the offering of the torma, are now considered entrapped in the web. A group of monks takes the effigy out of the pavilion.

The monks then bring the construction to a nearby field, where a tall pile of clean hay has been prepared. The effigy is thrown on the pile and quickly burned, as a symbol of cleansing negativity.

 During the so-called torma attack, the accumulation of negativity and obstacles ‘trapped’ in the effigy is destroyed. 

Negativity released in that way, the ceremony inside the pavilion gradually bears to an end, and everyone may now start looking forward to the New Year’s festivities!

Namkha is an ancient Tibetan tradition of weaving the threads of five colours into a ritual object or a protection amulet. Explore my website to learn more: Research / Overview

Read more about the ceremony on the Kagyu Monlam website

Photos in this post are sourced from the following videos:

Related:

Monks build the Gutor Namkha at Losar

April 29, 2019 was the conclusion day of the historic public transmission of Nyingthik Tsapöd and the entire works of Künkhyen Jigme Lingpa and Dza Paltrul Rinpoche, which had taken place over the 17 days at the Shechen Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal.

This day was dedicated to expressing gratitude to Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche for his immense kindness in imparting this precious transmission. It included a mandala offering and the longevity ceremony of Khandro Sundok (Averting the Calls of Dakinis) Sadhana, suplicating Kyabje Rinpoche to remain firm with good health and long life for the benefit of Dharma and all of sentient beings.

A complex namkha was constructed for the ritual. A life-like effigy represented the body while the woven construction imbued with the 5 elements represented Rinpoche’s life energy. The whole structure was ritually offered to remove obstacles to Rinpoche’s life.

The ritual dance of the Five Dakinis was a way to enact the actual blessing of Rinpoche by the five sacred energies: space, air, fire, water and earth, in their respective colours of blue, green, red, white and yellow.

When the life of a Tibetan Buddhist master might be nearing its end, Dhakinis come to escort him/her out of this life. In this case, the Sangha took the opportunity of this auspicious occasion to carry out this ritual for Rinpoche.

The namkha and the effigy are taken out of the temple to be discarded, considered accepted by the potential obstructors, who are thus satisfied and demotivated to cause harm to Rinpoche.

Sechen Rabjam Rinpoche having received the Tenshug – long-life ritual

Photo: Shechen Monastery Nepal

Read more about Namkhas of Tibet