Festival and culture in Bhutan
A study of neypo festival of gaytsa in Bumthang Dzongkhag
Keywords:
Neypo, spiritual beliefs, religion, cultural identityAbstract
Festivals in Bhutan are celebrated annually at national and local level as it is one of the cultural aspects to display the devotion towards Buddhism. The annual festivals take place in Dzongs where monks perform mask dances with a communal belief i.e. to commemorate the arrival of Buddhism in the country. Besides, lay men and women perform dances to entertain the crowd. Whereas local festivals usually take place in open space in their respective villages and contain the features of pre-Buddhism practices. Neypo is the local festival that is celebrated annually by the local community of Gaytsa village under Bumthang Dzongkhag. It may sound mystic to some but the festival is dedicated to worldly deities and spirits who are believed to have a direct impact on the daily life and the prosperity of a family or a community. Thus the community's spiritual beliefs are central to the cultural identity of the country, making their way into the Constitution of Bhutan, 2018 and other government policies. Besides religious purposes the events also provide the opportunity for the local people to wear the best dress, relax from daily work and to enjoy quality time with family and friends.
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