Tashiding preps up for annual Bhumchu Festival

PRITAM GURUNG

GEYZING, : The Bhumchu festival, an annual religious event observed at Tashiding Monastery, is set to take place on March 13 and 14. Thousands of devotees from across Sikkim, neighbouring States, Nepal and Bhutan are expected to gather at the monastery, located 25 km from Gyalshing, to partake in the sacred ceremony.

The final review meeting regarding festival preparations was convened on Monday by the Gyalshing district administration at Tashiding Monastery.

The meeting was chaired by GyalshingDC Tenzing D. Denzongpa and attended by Tourism minister and area MLA Tshering T. Bhutia, Yuksam SDM C.S. Subba, Chongrang BDO GeetaGurung, officials from various line departments, members of the Duchi Committee of Tashiding Monastery, as well as representatives from zilla and gram panchayats and local stakeholders.

Various aspects related to the Bhumchu ritual ceremony were discussed during the meeting. It was decided that registration for all visiting devotees will be mandatory, and registration tables will be set up at the monastery premises for their convenience.

Special care and support will be provided to senior citizens and devotees traveling from far-flung areas, including those from outside the state and abroad.

The sale and consumption of liquor, meat and tobacco products within the monastery premises will be strictly prohibited by the organizing committee.

Medical facilities will be available at the venue to handle any medical emergencies. Due to limited parking space at the monastery compound, vehicle entry from the main entrance of Tashiding Bazaar will be restricted. However, if space permits, vehicles from Nepal and Bhutan will be allowed to park on a first-come, first-served basis.

This year, the distribution of sacred water will begin on the intervening night of March 13 and 14 and will continue until the evening of March 14.

Bhumchu is a highly auspicious and centuries-old festival observed at Tashiding Monastery every year with deep faith and devotion by devotees from across Sikkim as well as from Bhutan and Nepal.

The ceremony takes place annually on the 15th day of the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. This year, it falls on March 13 and 14. The sacred vase (Bhumchu), which is kept sealed in a monastery chamber, miraculously refills itself with holy water over the course of a year. As per tradition, only three cups of the sacred water are drawn: one for the royal family, one for the monks, and one for the general public attending the ceremony.

The meeting also finalized crowd management plans, including setting up two separate queues for male and female devotees and an additional queue for senior citizens, monks and physically challenged individuals.

The DC emphasized the importance of proper management for the success of the festival. He urged active participation from the organizing committee, government departments, and local stakeholders, stating that all assigned roles and responsibilities must be handled with diligence and accountability.

After the meeting, a team of officials and members of the organizing committee led by ministerTshering T. Bhutia and DC Tenzing D. Denzongpa visited the venue to inspect the ongoing preparations for the festival.

The distribution of the holy water and audience with the sacred Bhumpa (vase) will begin at midnight on March 13 and continue until the evening of March 14. Devotees seeking to receive the Bhumchu blessings have been requested to reach Tashiding Monastery by the evening of March 14. All visiting devotees must register before participating in the festival. Registration tables will be set up at various points in the monastery premises.