Singhi Chham (Snow Lion Dance)

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Where Singhi Chham (Snow Lion Dance) comes from

Singhi Chham (literally 'the dance of the snow lion') is the masked dance of the Sikkimese Buddhist tradition, performed by men of the Lepcha-Bhutia-Sherpa community in honour of the snow lion — the mythical guardian of the mountains and of the Buddhist tradition. The dance is performed at the Losar (the Tibetan/Sikkimese New Year) and at the Tsechu (the religious festival) of the Sikkimese monasteries. The snow lion (the singhi) is one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism and is the symbol of the Sikkimese royal family and the protector of the state. The Singhi Chham is one of the most distinctive regional traditions of Sikkim and is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the state and at the festival of the Rumtek and the Pemayangtse monasteries.

How it's practiced

Singhi Chham is performed by men of the Sikkimese community in the snow-lion costume (the white furry body-suit and the mask of the snow lion) at the central courtyard of the monastery or at the open ground of the festival. The men perform the warrior-dance of the snow lion in coordinated steps, with the small sword and the shield of the warrior tradition. The dance is accompanied by the long horn (the rong-chen), the large cymbals and the small cymbals of the monastery. Costume is the snow-lion costume — the white furry body-suit with the embroidered border and the painted mask of the snow lion. Performances are at the monastery courtyard of Rumtek and Pemayangtse and at the cultural programmes of the state.