Donned with silver belts and coral necklaces, only unmarried Tibetan girls from the host village/group are privileged to dance in the Lerol festival.

Amdo Tibetan ‘Klu rol’ Festival — Part II

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Donned with silver belts and coral necklaces, only unmarried Tibetan girls from the host village/group are privileged to dance in the Lerol festival.
Donned with silver belts and coral necklaces, only unmarried girls from the host village group are privileged to dance in the Lerol festival.

 

[Continuing Klu rol (lürol) Festival part I…]

Summer is a festive season in Rebgong, Amdo region on the Tibetan plateau, and Klu rol (lürol ) festival is held yearly in many Tibetan villages and a few Monguor villages between June fifteenth and the twenty-fifth of the lunar calendar. My village, Gling-rgyal (AKA Langjia) is one of the most known sites for this folk culture.

Langjiais a tribe that made of seven distinctive community groups. It has about 370 households and a population of 3,000. The term Yar-stod (upper portion) refers to the three sub-villages on the east, and Smad-stod (lower portion) refers to the four sub-villages on the west side. Therefore, there are two Lha-ba (mediums), Amyes-magpa and Amyes-lhari, representing the two parts of the tribe.

My brother Dpal-ldan (Huadan) and Kevin Stuart described the festivity in their Perilous Novelties, “It is perceived to be a time of recreation, not only for local villages but also for mountain gods that loom large in local folk religious beliefs and rituals. During the festival, villagers delight the mountain gods and beseech two male village trance mediums (Lha-ba), who represent mountain gods while they are possessed, to bestow bumper harvests and protect their livestock from calamities. The Lha-ba are thus responsible for exorcizing evils that are damaging to the villagers.”

Lerol is a three-day affair for the public but five days by the hosting village group. I’m sharing this ritual in two posts.

My lovely Tibetan cousins and relatives are heading to the parade.
My lovely cousins and relatives are heading to the parade.

 

Tibetan young boys wait to begin the Lerol parade in a different village, Jiamotang.
After a meal break, young boys wait to begin the Lerol parade in a different village, Jiamotang.

 

A Tibetan young man from our clan, Nor-brgya (Norja), who is a university student, participating in the Lerol parade.
A young man from our clan, Nor-brgya (Norja), who is a university student, participating in the Lerol parade.

 

Tibetan Lha-gam, the statue box of Mountain God Amyes-lhari.
Lha-gam, the statue box of Mountain God Amyes-lhari.

 

Tibetan Lha-ba, Mountain God Amyes-lhari, temporarily manifested in a human medium, performs after he cut his forehead with a knife.
Lha-ba, Mountain God Amyes-lhari, temporarily manifested in a human medium, performs after he cut his forehead with a knife.

 

Young Tibetan women and Tibetan men from the host village/group perform toward the end of the day.
Young women and men from the host village/group perform toward the end of the day.

 

Tibetan Lha-ba, Amyes-magpa, who is temporarily manifested in a human medium, is depossessing from the mountain god.
Lha-ba, Amyes-magpa, who is temporarily manifested in a human medium, is dispossessing from the mountain god.

 

A Tibetan young man from the outer players reaches the top of a pole, known as the water deities' tree (Klu-sdong).
A young man from the outer players reaches the top of a wooden pole, known as the water deities’ tree (Klu-sdong) and wraps the day.

 

Back to Tibetan ‘Klu rol’ Festival in My Village — Part I

 

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I was born and raised on the Tibetan plateau. And I sing and dance with the utensils in my kitchen, while remembering and storytelling in my mind. Consulting in the realm of user experience (UX) design now based in Madison, WI, US, I’m blessed with the positive responses to my design contributions in the field and winning several awards. Growing up in the mountains of Rebgong (རེབ་གོང། Rebkong, Tongren), a cultural hub, I learned the art of making comfort food and the essence of what it takes to make juicy yak meat dumplings that will splash in your mouth while the delicate wrapper stays perfectly intact. And no one trained me better in cooking than my beloved late grandmother, Sonam. My love of cooking fresh meals daily, gardening and storytelling has continued to this day. And my friends here in the West are continually fascinated with my rich heritage, the dishes I cook, and the stories I share. “Beyond Her Kitchen” is where I celebrate Tibetan culture through food and stories, honoring disadvantaged women & girls. Continue reading at: https://beyondherkitchen.com/meet-jolma

11 Comments

  3. Absolutely beautiful Jolma! Your photography and writing showcases your culture, travels, family and food so well.

  4. Your photos are stunning! The clarity, brilliant colors and composition are breathtaking. Combined with your artful storytelling, they make a fascinating blog. Can’t wait for the next post!

  5. Hi Jolma!!

    Your photos are wonderful!! And, I love reading about your travels. Best of luck!!!

  6. Hi, Jolma!
    It looks like you are having a great time.
    Please say hello to your family from me.

    • Thank you, Sara. I will pass your greetings. I am enjoying very much my time on the Tibetan highlands.

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