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The Masks of Tawang
The
study and visual documentation of the masks, myth and
Buddhist imagination in Tawang monastery.
 The Monpa and the Sherdukpen are
the two Buddhist tribes of Mahayana order mask users
situated in the West Kameng bordering Bhutan and Tibet.
The level of magico-religious beliefs and practices are
clearly depicted in the mask forms of the tradition of
masks in the northeast India. They show interrelatedness
and interconnectedness with the way of life in their
eco-cultural setting.
The
masks and performances involving masks in the northern
Arunachal Pradesh with the above mentioned groups are
unique and interesting, in that unlike other masks of
the cis-Himalayan region , these masks probably have a
secular base rather than strong foundation of Buddhism.
The main challenge of photographing
the masked performances is in understanding the context
of each. The dance forms and masks serve as ritualistic
devices for the society and carry with them myths,
tales, lessons and various levels of symbolism. The
prime focus was in discovering, understanding and
linking mask into the larger picture of traditions.
One stage of the project was
carried out during the auspicious festival of Torgya,
The festival is to drive away the evil spirit and gain
the blessings for spiritual and material well being of
the people of the entire region. Dances are performed
during the three-day festival with monastic costumes and
colourful masks.
 It serves as a visual convergence
of Monpa identity, the monastery, the lamaist order.
The main approach of the study through
photographing the people, the monastery, the masked
performances was to look at the confluence of various
entities, in relation to one another. While taking a parallel view of the individual elements pertaining to
masks, the symbolism, meaning, myth and stories related
to them. At the same time going back to the wider view
of the context in which they appear, the festival,
performance, monastery, religion and society.
The
first stage of our research was done in and around
Torgya, thus the context of the photograph was bounded
by the people coming down from distant places, the
preparing for the mask performances, the masks, the
performances, the lama living quarters.
(Sonal Jain, visual artist &
photographer. Don Bosco Center for Indigenous Cultures,
Shillong, bluevault2001@yahoo.com) |
