Ging Tsholing Mask

The dance of the Ging and the Tsholing, the Tsholing are terrifying deities who are seen as protectors of the religion, and who purify the ground of evil influences. The Tsholing wear long colourful dresses and terrifying masks. The Ging make up Guru Rinpoche’s retinue, and wear tiger-skin skirts and masks with a flag on top. Each Ging dancer carries a drum in the left hand and a drumstick in the right hand.

The dance brings blessings, and is performed in order to remove all the obstacles to the doctrine as well as to bring happiness to all sentient beings. When the Ging and Tsholing perform this dance, they discourage the external demons and demonstrate clearly their magical powers by which they can overcome the demons. This dance is a dance of purification before the arrival of Guru Rinpoche. People whistle to chase away the bad spirits and Ging hit every-one on the head with their drumsticks to chase away impurity from the body. The Tsholing, after having destroyed the evil spirits symbolized by an effigy in a black box, are chased away by the Ging who stay alone and perform a dance of victory by beating their drums.