After the first two treks, we found a confortable place to stay for a couple of days. We wanted to rest before starting the last trek, and we understood that a village festival would happen a few days later. We waited for the celebration...
It was the village of Biru, our future guide.
We spent time in the buddhist gompa (temple), listening mantras and watching the beautiful pictures that are on the walls of the temple. After explanations of a young lama (monk), we understood better the buddhist philosophy.
During one week, the lamas were preparing a ceremony. This ceremony has some strange common points with the pagan "Carnival" that we all know. read more to understand....
It is supposed to evacuate all bad spirits from the village in the form of a beautiful big doll made of butter, looking like colorfull plastic, charged with all sins the village people made during the last 6 months.
At dawn, when sun is disappearing, the village celebration happened. All the village was following 4 men carrying the big butter doll.
in the procession guarded by lamas, 2 caracters are wearing some big and scaring costumes. They look like the most scary caracters of our carnivals.
The poorest man of the next village is here, and he does absolutely what he wants...tracking and attacking girls and women, asking money to anyone, scaring people, etc...
we all follow each other on steep and rough mountains paths...we went in a remote place of the village, near the river, and the 4 men threw the doll in Fire.
after that everyone was very happy and we all came back in the village to celebrate with Raksi (local Schnaps) and local songs.
