Kharam; the festival of Phallus

Abstract

When the rate of change outside is more than what is inside, be sure that the end is near. The old culture of celebrating a local festival in Bhutan has reached to its extinction. Kharam[1] is the local festival celebrated by a community in Lhuentse district. The main objective behind this research is to know about the festival and cause and effects that led to the extinction and its branch to the nation as well as in society. The main problem that led to the eradication of locally celebrated festivals is due to a large number of migration towards town, less population in the locality and power of westernization. Hence, this research attempts to learn more about kharam and its extinction through an interview, reading research information, articles, and books. Moreover, this research paper will show you the effects of declining interest in local culture and its solution to regenerate dying culture

Introduction

A nation’s culture is inherent in the heart and soul of its people. Bhutan was a sandwich country between two powerful countries India and China. Still, Bhutan managed to stand one nation, one people, because of our undying indigenous culture and tradition that have been preserved till now, millions of people from the world are fighting to see our unique cultures and tradition. However, in the Bhutan culture of celebrating local festival has reached to its extinction. Kharam[2] was a local festival celebrated by a community in Lhuentse and Monger districts. In the olden days festival of wooden Phallus was very prevalent in their localities. They usually celebrating such festivals to clean one's defilements and wicked omens in the community. It is celebrating on the 27^th and 28^th of the 8^th month in the Bhutanese lunar calendar. The origin and history of the festival were unknown to the locality. What they are saying is that they have seen celebrating such a festival since they were a child. However, karma Galey said that such a festival was originated from belief systems of Bonpo[3]. To ride off worst defilements created by incest marriage of dump brother and sister in the community, they have started to perform such festival in Bumthang Tang with Tangi Japo[4] (Galey, 2012). Due to modernization and lost interest in such old festivals, it has reached to its extinction. In this paper, it is going to highlight factors leading to its extinction and followed by its solution through which will be preserved such an important culture.

Origin and History

Kharam is one of the popular festivals in the locality of eastern Bhutan. It was prominently celebrated by the people of Tshenkhar gewog in Lhuentse and Chali in monger Dzongkha. The festival of Phallus was said to be originated the from Bonpos belief system. Such type of festival was celebrating to safe from one’s bad luck and misfortune. In some accounts, it says that the Kharam festival is celebrating because of unethical marriage that happened between dump brother and sister at one of the places in Bumthang. The child of those incest couples Yab Kugpu and Yum Kungmo is considered as the worst defilement for the community and all people worried that they might befall curse and hardship to them. During the middle of the chaos rooster from Thang made a response to their confusion saying that he will protect locality from the curse. He said that he will be going to use his beak and wings to wipe off a curse. So we can know that the festival was originated from the Tang valley of Bumthang. However, is was predominantly celebrated in the Kurteap[5] speaking communities and it is also named in Kurteap dialect that Kharam meaning curse.

Celebration

It was celebrated on 27^th to 29^th of the seventh month in the Bhutanese lunar calendar. That is from 25^th to 27^th October. Kharam is celebrating for almost three days, during that time Kharamshing and japo[6] are the most important parts of the festival.

Day one

Few days before the actual celebration of the festival. Every villager has to make wooden phallus out local tree species called Kharamshing. After done with well decorated with colors and various shape they have to erect in front of each household. The day one is considered as Sa-Kharam meaning festival of land. During that people have to stop working to avoid killing small insects and earthworms. During that day they have to erect phallus in their field to protect their crops from pests and weeds. They are expecting to save their land from any type of curse and misfortune.

Day two

The second day was celebrated as Nor-kharam, festival of cattle to avoid misfortune to their livestock. On that day villagers were making round to every one cattle sheds with kharamshing, coak and bunch of needle trees and they even use to sign verse of the poem. They use to rub cattle with this bunch of trees, people believe that by doing such thing it is cleansing their misfortunes and guaranteeing their productivity.

Day three

The final day was celebrated to defend oneself from the curse of backbiting and malicious talk. That day was celebrated with special variations of foods, making good wishes to each other and playing outdoor games. And they are enjoying the day very joyfully.

Some of the challenges faced by local festival are;

Transformational challenges

One of the common challenges faced by the local festival is transformational challenges. Such type transformational change is causing due to lake of proper knowledge about its background history and its significances. As a result of these people of the community, trends modify the existing culture without using resources properly. Later the younger generation thinks that the culture of celebrating such a festival is like what their parents are doing and they will follow the same thing throughout the generations. The modified culture will adept by the younger people and there are chances that they will be replaced with it. For example like the kharam festival, in the olden days, one person from every household must go for everyone's cattle shed with singing verse. But, these days very few people are going to celebrate nor-kharam which show such types of transformational process are giving threat to the local festival.

Development and Migration

Developmental progress and migration are also contributing to culture deterioration. As the developmental works taking place in the locality, there will be an increase in the number of people going outside and inside. According to Tsheten Dorji, he said that because of the high number of villagers going outside, they face facing difficulties in celebrating a local festival in a huge gathering like they did in olden days. He also adds that there is a change in the notion of that people that celebrating such festival is old fashion. Those people leaving the community will not consider their culture when they settle in a different culture group community. Same this happens with those who are migrating into the community. The people coming from the outside will not participate in any culture activities rather they will give more interest to their own culture which will lead to cultural diffusion. For example, the construction workers of the building will celebrate local festivals of their locality. Where they will celebrate their festival at the campsites.

Westernization

Mass media has played a vital role in bringing the world in front of us. Due to developments in media and television, western culture has become very popular among the youth of today. The westernization has been accelerating to influence the youth of the world. People considered cool to adapt to western culture. In many cases, people of today trying to avoid unique local festivals and opting for the late-night party, drinking and pub culture. They have cultivated the feeling of shyness and awkwardness in practicing old cultures. as a result, it's disrespectful for their king, country, and people. Ugyen Tenzin, one of the school teacher says that while governments are keeping schools closed for celebrating. Student is not using these holidays to celebrate their local festival rather they are engaged in other unproductive works. This shows that the youth of got has got influenced by western culture and lost interest in such a festival.

Solution

To prevent such festivals to go into media jokes. Governments and people of the country must bring some solutions to tackle those challenges. I think the best solution could be if the government could set up new organizations under the ministry of culture that focuses on the developments of locally celebrated culture. It would be very effective if they could include one-two people from each variant culture group to enhance their own culture by formulating new rules and methods. For example rules like when they are celebrating such festivals in their community, they have to submit their report to the relative department to ensure quality and mass participation.

One of the solutions could be if the government could give a separate budget for celebration. This will act as incentives to the local people and encouraged them to celebrate. To wipe off the seed of western culture in the youth of the nation, the introduction of the new subject related to national culture and its important and producing documentary, research paper, and publishing books will help in regenerating our virgin culture.

Conclusion

To conclude, Bhutan is independent because of undying culture and tradition. Bhutanese need to preserve our culture. Kharam is one of the indigenous local festivals of Bhutan which was developed from the belief system of Bonpo. Such type of festival was celebrating in the localities of Mongar and Lhuentse. They usually celebrating such festivals to protect themselves from cures of the people to the land, animal and oneself. However, this festival has reached its extinction because of the huge number of people going outside and inside. Another reason was the development of western culture in the youth of today. However such types of culture can be retrieved by the formation of new policies and with other solutions like advocacy and publishing books.

  

Refrences

Galey, K. (2012). KHARAM - THE CATTLE FESTIVAL. Thimphu: KMT.

Traditionals and Rituals. (2016). Retrieved 17 September 2019 from https://saarcculture.org/2016/01/27/traditions -rituals-3/

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[1] Local festival celebrated by the locality of Lhuentse

[2] Local festival of Monger and Lhuntse.

[3] Tibetan indigenous religion.

[4] Rooster of Bumthang Tang.

[5] Local dialects of Lhuentse, Tashiyangtse and some part of Mongar

[6] rooster