Drigung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche presided over the two-day religious festival of Phyang monastery in Ladakh from July 31 to August 1, 2016.
The festival began with the display of a thangka applique of Kyoba Jigten Gonpo, founder of the Drigung Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, which was was followed by the performance of masked dances invoking the dharma protectors and their retinues by the monks of the monastery.
“The tradition of our masked dances were brought from Drigung Thil in Tibet and also with many new forms of masked dances, depicting the dharma protectors, introduced by the first Drigung Kyabgon Chungtsang, the contemporary of The Great Fifth Dalai Lama,” says Khenpo Rangdol, Senior attendant to Drigung Chetsang Rinpoche.
Phyang monastery was founded by Choeje Denma Kunga Drakpa from Kham Denma in the 16th century on the invitation of king Jamyang Namgyal of Ladakh.The appliqué thangka is displayed for public view once every three years.