It is celebrated on the twenty-fifth day of the tenth Tibetan month, by a general illumination of both lay and religious buildings, like the analogous Dewali festival of the Hindus, and the lamp (Chiragh) feast of the Muhammadans, and the festival of Buddha the Burning Lamp (Dipamkara) of the Chinese Buddhists, which also are celebrated about this time.

On this day, in the year 1417, Doctor Tson-K'ā-pa died, or was transfigured as is now believed. The legend says that he appeared on the stone altar in front of the throne at his monastery at GāhIdan, and having addressed the assembled multitude, and prophesied the future greatness of his church, he ascended into the Tushita heavens.

The anniversary of this event is called Gah-dan Nam-ch'od, and is celebrated with great joy and torchlight processions. Altars and stages are for this purpose erected beforehand, and decorated with hundreds of lamps and ornamental cakes. On the evening of the feast is a great procession, before which is carried the image of Tson-K'a-pa, and torches and lamps, and if they burn brilliantly, much happiness is prophesied.

Advantage also is taken of this day, at the onset of winter, to visit the Dalai and other high Lāmas, and present them with bundles of new warm robes, thus corresponding to the ancient Buddhist "Robe-month" (Chīvara Māsa), which was the month following the end of the rains, and on which the mendicants were provided with new robes on the approach of the cold weather.

In addition to these great feasts are innumerable minor and local ones, as Lāmaism is not behind the Catholic church in accommodating herself to the customs of the people. The Mongols have their Fire and other special festivals all in Buddhist dress. The worship of the mountain-god Kan-ch'en-dsö-ǹa has already been referred to as peculiar to the Sikhimite form of Lāmaism, in addition to which are other local feasts.5

4

1 On the twenty-fourth, or preceding day, the monks of the Serra monastery observe a special illumination in honour of the deccase of their great Lūma, rJe-byams ch'ench'os rje-gzegs-pu. 2 bzhi-mch'od.

3 On the twenty-second day of the eighth Chinese month.-EDKINS' Chinese Budd., p. 210.

It is held on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. In 1891 it happened on the nineteenth of August. It lasts for three days; and the fifteenth of every month is sacred to this god.

5 Among the local feasts in Sikhim are the Thanksgiving and Prayer-festival (rubgnas) for the welfare of the country, held in the ninth month of every year at the To'n

A somewhat droll and almost dramatic feast is the chase of the demon of ill-luck, evidently a relic of a former demonist cult.1 It is called "Chongju Sewang," and is held at Lhasa on the twentyninth and thirtieth days of the second month, though it sometimes lasts about a week. It starts after divine service. A priest represents a Grand Lama,2 and one of the multitude is masqueraded as the ghost-king. For a week previously he sits in the market-place with face painted half black and half white, and a coat of skin is put on his arm and he is called "King of the Years"" (? head)." He helps himself to what he wants, and goes about shaking a black yak's tail over the heads of the people, who thus transfer to him 'their ill-luck.

This latter person then goes towards the priest in the neighbourhood of the cloister of La-brang and ridicules him, saying: "What we perceive through the five sources (the five senses) is no illusion. All you teach is untrue," etc., etc. The acting Grand Lama contradicts this; but both dispute for some time with one another; and ultimately agree to settle the contest by dice; the Lāma consents to change places with the scape-goat if the dice should so decide. The Lama has a dice with six on all six sides and throws six-up three times, while the ghost-king has a dice which throws only one.

When the dice of the priest throws six six times in succession and that of the scape-goat throws only ones, this latter individual, or" Lôjon" as he is called, is terrified and flees away upon a white horse, which, with a white dog, a white bird, salt, etc., he has been provided with by government. He is pursued with screams and blank shots as far as the mountains of Chetang, where he has to remain as an outcast for several months in a narrow haunt, which, however, has been previously provided for him with provisions.

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We are told that, while en route to Chetang, he is detained

wa-ron-grol Caitya, at Tashiding monastery; and the tenth month the anointing and blessing of the Sikhim king by the head Lāma of Pemiongchi.

1 What seems a version of this ceremony is celebrated in Ladāk (at the village of Masho) under the name "Nagh-rang," and described by RAMSAY, Dict., p. 44.

2 I did not enquire into the personality of this Lāma and his relationship, if any, to the temporary Lama-king of De-pung monastery. Pandit Nain Sing connects this Scape-goat ceremony with the termination of the De-pung Lama-regent's rule, and makes its Lāma identical with the latter, while Lama U. G. (loc. cit., 32), states that the dicethrowing Lama belongs to the Chang-chub-Ling monastery.

3 Lo-gon gyal-po.

Pandit A. K.'s Survey Rept.

for seven days in the great chamber of horrors at Sam-yäs monastery filled with the monstrous images of devils and skins of huge serpents and wild animals, all calculated to excite feelings of tèrror. During his seven days' stay he exercises despotic authority over Sam-yäs, and the same during the first seven days of his stay at Chetang. Both Lama and laity give him much alms, as he is believed to sacrifice himself for the welfare of the country. It is said that in former times the man who performed this duty died at Chetang in the course of the year from terror at the awful images he was associated with; but the present scape-goat survives and returns to re-enact his part the following year. From Chetang, where he stays for seven days, he goes to Lho-ka, where he remains for several months.

At the beginning of the third month an exhibition is held of the holy vessels and precious things in the La-brang temple, also the hanging out of pictures on Potala. There are sowing and harvest and other non-Buddhist festivals, and special rogation days of supplications in case of war, famine, and pestilence.

The old year with all its bad luck is despatched with rites of a clearly demonistic character, and the ceremony, named the "Throwing away of the Dead Year," is combined with a devildance, as described in the next chapter.

Every household contributes to " ring out the old " and "ring in the new" year. On the 22nd day of the 12th month each family prepares a dough image weighing about four pounds, and on it stick pieces of cloth, woollen or silken, and coins, etc., according to the wealth of the house-owner, and the demon of ill-luck is invoked to enter into the image, which is then worshipped, and on the 29th day, or the last but one of the old year, a Lama is sent for, who carries the image out of the house and beyond the village to a place where four paths meet, and there he abandons it.

But for the general community a huge image is prepared, and attached to its top are many threads, and in front of it on the 29th day a grand dance of the death-devils, etc., takes place, as detailed in the chapter on the mystic plays. And when it is carried off and abandoned the laity vie with one another in snatching the threads,

1 Lo-s'i sKu-rim.

LL

which are treasured as most potent charms, while the Lāmas return to the temple and perform a service to complete the expulsion of the dead old year.

And so they go on, feast following feast, till the end of the year, when the pantomime and carnival commence.

ANCY-DRESS balls and the masked carnivals of Europe find their counterpart in Tibet, where the Lamas are fond of masquerading in quaint attire; and the populace delight in these pageants, with their dramatic display and droll dances. The masked dances, however, are essentially religious in nature, as with the similar pageants still found among many primitive people, and probably once current even among the Greeks and Egyptians."

The Lamas reserve to themselves the exclusive right to act in "the Mystery-Play," with its manifestations of the gods and demons, by awe-inspiring masks, etc., while they relegate to lay actors the sacred dramas, illustrating the former births of Buddha and other saints, the Jatakas.

1 From a photograph by Mr. Hoffmann.

The myth of the snaky-haired Gorgon, and the death-masks found in ancient tombs of Mycenae, Kertch, Carthage, Mexico, etc.