Local communities nearby the domestic airport in Bumthang, annually celebrates ‘Nangshoth’ festival commonly referred to as ‘Chew Chew Goth Goth’ by children. The festival is similar to Loley celebrated in Western Bhutan and at times similar to Christians celebration of Halloween. It is celebrated every year on the 15th day of the 11th month of Bhutanese calendar.
On the eve of the festival children and adults in groups dressed differently hiding their identity visit each and every household in the locality. Everyone carries a stave for creating musical rhythm by beating on the ground and stairways while reciting the verses ‘chew chew goth goth, gang buet yaab thay goth ra goth; chur ma chang blank goth ra goth’ (literally meaning please offer us a piece of gangbooth (deep fat fried bread) and a glass of ale, while 'chew chew' meant to sound like a little bird).
Once the group enters a house, each of them will be offered a piece of gangbooth made from a local wheat variety. Every visitor would then hurriedly tuck it into their plastic bags. Then children will be offered tea while adults may drink locally brewed ale - ara or singchang. After the brief ceremony, visitors leave the house, singing verses wishing the household a happy and bountiful upcoming year. The celebration continues to the next day engaging in local sports and a day after usually going around the village for changkor.
The celebration this year was special for the Tekarshong community. After more than two decades the archery range at the village was revived and men gathered for a friendly game, while children gathered to play. The archery range at Tekarshong hasn’t been used since the last game sometime towards the end of 1999. Few days prior to the festival, every man from the village had spared a few hours in eadying the archery range. Lot has to be done for the playground has been crisscrossed by farm roads and electricity grid lines.
There is a long way to go before reviving the ‘traditional way of life’ which would effectively foster community vitality. Hopefully, in coming years, such an event is expected to attract everyone to celebrate the sense of community and belongingness to the place, as it used to be in the past. Those days such an event would draw everyone from the village; women come with ale and food while men play archery. Towards the afternoon everyone will be enjoying dancing and singing. On eve of the next day young and old in their own groups, once again visits each and every household singing and dancing for ‘changkor’ drinking tea and ale. All in all such is the way of celebrating community vitality which is losing its significance with the current generation.
Published 15 Dec 2020
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