Essay on “Choekar” Festival
The festivals of ‘Choekar’ is celebrated in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, to provide supernatural protection to the crops sown, for a good harvest and to drive away from the evil spirits which may cause harm to the village community. Voluminous holy books such as ‘Ka-gyun’, ‘Bum’, ‘Gye-tong’, ‘Nyi-thai’, etc. are read in the village temple by the village priests or monks from the monastery.
On the last day, a procession is taken out around the agricultural fields and the village, carrying images of Lord Buddha and other Buddhist pantheons and holy books. The procession is headed by two Kong-Yoks and behind them follows the Arp (Army), Men-dhakpa (Gunmen), Kyenpa (Clown) and Azara (Indian ascetic). With the completion of encirclement around the village and fields, the participants of the procession return to the temple.
