7. Bumchu: The Sacred Water Vase Ritual of Tashiding (2012)

Every winter, the Bumchu or ‘sacred water ritual’ of Tashiding is held on the full moon night of the first month of the lunar calendar, usually falling in February or early March.



On this occasion, pilgrims from all over Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal converge onto the monastery of Tashiding in West Sikkim with the hope of obtaining a few drops of the Bumchu water, held to be an elixir of long life and contain the seed to enlightenment.



The ritual has been held by the monks of Tashiding since the year 1646.



Cinematography: Dawa Tshering Lepcha and Phurba Tshering Bhutia
Editing: Dawa Tshering Lepcha and Phurba Tsheringg Bhutia
Anthropologist and Project Coordinator: Anna Balikci-Denjongpa
Produced by the Director, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok, Sikkim, India



DVDs of ‘Bumchu’ will soon be available at the Institute’s book shop.