HYOLMO TSECHU FESTIVAL | HYOLMO GUMBA | TINCHULI | KATHMANDU

Hyolmo community people performing the traditional dance during the rituals. Hyolmo Tsechu prayer rituals are celebrated once every year by the Hyolmo community at the Hyolmo Monastery for peace, harmony and prosperity.

It is believed that Guru Rimpoche meditated in the pristine caves and had hidden his religious scriptures and items there. 
According to Intellectuals people the Lama priest behind this year’s Tsechu Puja, the celebration of the festival is done to expel the evil thoughts and intentions that lurk within human beings.
“The puja is conducted to remove evil ghosts and evil thoughts that we or the village may possess,”
It has been said that the imagery of this is seen with a figure of Guru Rimpoche’s arms wrapped around his body made from millet dough. This is symbolic of a demon who takes the facade of Padmasambhava taking away all things evil from the village and its people which is later consumed by the flames of the bonfire.

This is followed by the Hyolmo villagers divided into females and males who sing and dance arm in arm around the bonfire in unison. The song is an auspicious one that is only meant to be sung during the Tsechu festival. This singing continues to the night and the atmosphere is that of contagious merriment.  
The locally brewed liquor made of millet and locals favourite salty tea made by mixing butter, milk, and salt only add to the festive delight. 
The song is meant to make people healthy and rid of them any evil ghosts. “When we sing the Tsechu song we are asking to be healthy and lead a long and a pure life,”