Sikkim: Bhumchu festival in Tashiding sees massive footfall

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Devotees from across Sikkim and neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bhutan attended the Bhumchu ceremony at the Tashiding monastery in Gyalshing district on Tuesday.

As per the Bhumchu Committee, which keeps records through a token system for regulating the crowd, more than 30,000 devotees were present to receive the sacred water.

The distribution of Bhumchu to the devotees commenced from 2 AM of March 7, coinciding with the full moon of the first month of the lunar calendar.

The ceremony was conducted by the monks of Tashiding monastery in the presence of SLA deputy speaker-cum-area MLA Sangay Lepcha and Ecclesiastical Affairs minister Sonam Lama. Also present were Ecclesiastical Affairs advisor R.S Bhutia, Gyalshing district collector, SP, officials from Ecclesiastical Affairs department and district administration.

As per the tradition, three cups of the sacred water were taken out from the pot, of which one cup is meant for the devotees. It is believed that the water in the sacred pot makes some vital predictions for the State.

Bhumchu is an auspicious and age-old ceremony observed at Tashiding monastery every year with great faith and divinity.

The Bhumchu ceremony is the embodiment of good fortune, long life and prosperity, and for curing/averting diseases with supplications being made to Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig), the Buddha of compassion. (EM)