They are highly regarded in tantric practices, and are the guards of the eight cremation grounds, situated on the edges of the cosmic diagram or the mandala.
Dhurdag is the emanation of Pelden Lhamo, the main protective deity of Bhutan. “Pelden Lhamo manifests in the form of Dhurdag, when she serves as the lord of endowments in Tantarayana,” he said.
There are two different versions of the dhurdag dance, one performed by the monks, and the other by laymen, with some difference in steps. The dancers bring a box in a cloth that is made to look like human skin, which contains a small effigy of a human being. The cloth and the box will be left behind, when the dance is completed, to be damaged by the Tungam chham dancers that would follow. “This signifies subduing the evil that harms the tantric doctrine,” said Kinzang Dorji.
Dhurdag chham performed by only by senior monks, who have mastered all other mask dances. “Durdag is complex, because it requires some measure of understanding of tantric symbolism.”
Height | 27cm |
Width | 22 cm |
Weight | 1.5 kg |
Compositions | Pine wood, natural colour |
Styles | Classic |
Properties | Used seasoned pine wood curved and painted with with natural colours. No chemical being used. |