Tshomen (Mermaid)

Here a young monk waits offstage with a masked dancer during the 2014 Thimphu Drubchen festival, also known as Lhamo'i Dromche. The sacred Drubchen dances in the Tantric Buddhist tradition are a skillful means of teaching Dharma through vajra ritual. They require natural ability and many years of physical and spiritual training. The wide variety of dance styles and dance steps need enhanced levels of strength, precision, and stamina. The monks are taught to discard all notions of ordinary self and assume the divine pride of the deity whose dance they are performing. The masked dancer in this photo represents one of the “Lu” deities that protect lakes and rivers, know as Tshomen. In Bhutan, before disturbing a body of water to build a bridge, a dam, or an irrigation diversion, the Tshomen living there must grant permission, or the project will fail. If she does not grant permission, a sacred dance can be performed to distract the Tshomen while the work is being done. But Tshomen are har