Lugong ceremony outside the main entrance to the Jokhang

Lugong ceremony outside the main entrance to the Jokhang

2001.59.9.5.1 (Film negative)

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Key Information

Photographer

Hugh E. Richardson

Collection

Hugh Richardson

Date of Photo

April 10th 1937, April 18th 1939 or April 6th 1940

Named Person

Changchubling monastery Abbot

Region

Lhasa > Jokhang (from Doring House)

Accession number

2001.59.9.5.1

Image Dimensions

55 x 85 mm

The abbot of Changchubling monastery in ceremonial dress sitting on a padded square cushion facing the Dalai Lama's window in the courtyard outside the main entrance of the Jokhang filled with crowds of spectators. The occasion is the ceremony of the Lugong gyalpo (glud 'gong rgyal po) which took place on the 29th day of the second Tibetan month.

Further Information

Activity

Ritual Activity

Photographic Process

Negative film nitrate

Date Acquired

Donated August 2001

Donated by

The executors of the estate of Hugh E. Richardson

Expedition

Hugh E. Richardson

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Notes on negative album - 'A'. CEREMONIES. SCAPEGOAT. SERPANG. ORACLE KARMASHAR. CHIPGYUR. LHA BSDUR NECHUNG. YASO. LUKHANG BOATS. GANGTOK WARRIORS.'

Manual Catalogues -


Manual Catalogues - Notes on negative index - 'Lu gong at Jokhang prayer' 'slob dpon takes his seat' (red ink) is written in Richardson's hand on a piece of paper glued onto the first page of the negative album. [KC 20/9/2006]

Manual Catalogues -


Manual Catalogues - Richardson's handlist Album 'A' - "Nos 1-20 illustrate the Scapegoat ceremony,the Glud-'gong rgyal-po , on the 29th day of the second month. no.2 The Kashag are seated in a balcony overlooking the courtyard in front of the Jokhang; and the Zhal-ngo -the Proctors of Drepung- are seatred on the north side of the courtyard. The ceremony starts with a dance by Black Hat "magician" dancers. nos. 3 and 4 also show the dance. No. 5. The abbot of Byang chub gling monastery, a Rnying-ma-pa (old Red Hat sect) takes his seat in the centre of the courtyard. He appears to be the representative of the Dalai Lama in this ceremony.

Other Information - Setting


Other Information - Setting: Richardson mentions that he saw this ceremony on three occasions so one can assume that the photographs of the ceremony are from three different occasions. He provides a very full description of the proceedings in Ceremonies of the Lhasa Year, 1993, London: Serindia Publications, pp. 61-71, "In this ceremony two men dressed in shaggy goatskins and with their faces painted half black and half white are driven out of the city in a performance which has a superficial resemblance to the ritual recorded in other civilizations where a scapegoat is expelled bearing with him the sins of the people. ... of the two men on whomthe burden fell one was a poyen , servant, of the magistrates of the Sho whose other duties were to flog criminals and look after the neighbouring parks; the other was chosen by the villagers of Phenpo who were tenants of the Kundeling monastery in Lhasa. (p.62) Unlike the majority of ceremonies at Lhasa this one does not start until midday. By then a crowd has gathered around the courtyard in front of the main entrance to the Jokhang. Then the two Shengo of Drepung with their deputies,attended by brawny monk police carrying long poles, staves and sticks, march gravely across the courtyard and sit on a bench below the Dalai Lama's window. A long blaast from two silver horns on the west side of the courtyard announces the emergence from the Jokhang of the Changchubling monks who perform a short ritual of exorcism to the accompaniment of oboes and cymbals. When that is finished a party of Black Hat (Shanak) monk dancers, also from Chanchubling, wearing tall broad-brimmed hats surmounted by flame-like fretwork and a conical gold ornament, perform the slow pirouettes of their tantric dance, gesturing with wide, flowing sleeves and holding a skull cap in one hand and a dorje in the other. While they dance the lopon, the senior teacher of Changchubling, enveloped in a red cloak and wearng a yellow mitre, comes to sit on a high cushioned seat facing the Dalai Lama's window." p. (64-5).

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Lugong ceremony outside the main entrance to the Jokhang" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_2001.59.9.5.1.html>.

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