Two festivals are occasions of special importance all over Sikkim. One
occasion is dedicated to the deity Kanchendzonga and the other to Lossoong
the Sikkimese New Year Day.
Kanchendzonga The two day festival of dance performed during the worship of
snowy range of Kanchanjunga (Khang-chen-dzod-nga) is a dance peculiar to
Sikkim alone. It is celebrated in September. The third Chogyal of Sikkim,
Chador Namgyal (1686-1716) introduced this dance about two and a half
centuries ago as a result of a vision. Kanchanjunga is about 40 km from
Gangtok and is the most unifying force in the myth and identity of the
state. Khang-chen-dzod-nga means the five treasures represented by five
summits of this gigantic mountain. According to tradition the five treasures
are salt, precious stones, religious scripts, medicines and grains and
invincible armour. The natural environment in which the Sikkimese live have
made them to revere, fear and worship this mountain. They believe that their
prosperity even their lives depend on the good humour of the deity, for he
has the power to destroy human habitations with devastating floods and
avalanches, wash away their bridges and ruin their crops by sending terrible
hail storms down the valleys. Kanchendzonga is portrayed as a fiery red -
countenanced deity with a crown of five skulls, riding the mythical snow
lion and holding aloft the banner of victory. Esoteric masks, flashing
silks, opulent brocades and embroidered boots are the costumes of the
dancers. The dancers are all male. In this warrior Dance the warlike pomp
and panoply, the war deity resplendent the flaming robes, the fantastic Snow
lion, comprise the essence of the dance. This mask dance is termed as Singhi
Dance i.e. Lion Dance by Nepalese. They visualise the ferocious god of
Kanchanjunga riding over a lion and hence call this dance as Singhi Dance.
Lossoong
On Lossoong, the Sikkimese New Year Day, Black Hat (kali topi) Dance
demonstrating the triumph of good over evil is demonstrated. This masked
dance is also performed by male dancers mostly the Lamas. The dance revives
the old story which narrates that about twelve centuries ago King Land-Darma
was slain for suppressing Buddhism in Tibet. The king was slain by a Lama
wearing a fantastic black robe lined with white and riding a white horse
blackened with soot.
