[1]

.Syabru (Nepali: स्याब्रु नाच) is a traditional Nepalese Himalayan folk dance. It is

primarily performed by the people of the Sherpa and Yolmocommunities. It is also
performed by other Himalayan communities of Nepal. The dance is performed in every
festival as well as in various auspicious events and gathering.

The dance is performed in a group. The dance is performed by both men and
[2]
women. People wear their ethnic clothes while performing the dance. People
sing traditional folk songs while moving slowly in a line or a circulus while
performing the dance. The songs are often accompanied by traditional
instruments such as Tungna.

Alongside various folk dances of Nepal, the popularity of Syabru dance is also
being decreased. In order to preserve and promote the dance form, various
competitions, workshops and awareness programmes are being
[3][4][5]
conducted. The dance is an essential ritual during the Gyalpo Lhosar
celebration.

In the language of the Sherpa people who live in the high Himalayan slopes of northern
Nepal. Shyab means feel and 'ru' means movement rhythm, so the dance Shyabru
means 'rhythm feel. In the language of the Sherpa people who live in the high
Himalayan slopes of northern Nepal. Shyab means feel and 'ru' means
movement rhythm, so the dance Shyabru means 'rhythm feel. The Sherpas are
brave intrepid people known world over as superb mountaineer. They live hardly
lives and lace unimaginable hardship with courage and a smile

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syabru_(dance)

2.2 Authentic Sherpa Folk music

The Sherpa elderly people of Sikkim argue tt the Sherpa music of the
contemporary world (which is influenced mainly by popular music) doesn't have
the essence of authentic Sherpa folk music. Enquiring Sherpa folk music's
authenticity, most of the elderly respondents of Sikkim argues that Sherpa music
of their times is quite different from today
Most elderly people believe that the modern Sherpa song doesn't have the Sherpa
value and essence of authentic Sherpa folk music. The Sherpa elderly people only
perform, which they have learned from their Sherpa forefathers, and perform only on
Sherpa occasions and festivals.

Sherpa folk music has transformed from old rural folk to contemporary folk, folk fusion,
and many forms of modern music. It has been evolving continuously in a spatial and
temporal framework. The traditional way of playing the Danyen accompanied by other
Sherpa traditional instruments is believed to be the authentic-sounding flavor of Sherpa
folk music by the Sherpa elderly people of Sikkim.

The Sherpa religious music is largely same as the traditional tunes and incantations of
Tibetan Buddhism. It is so because Sherpas trace their origin in Tibet and follows the
same Mahayana Buddhism as other Tibetans. It is performed according to the Buddhist
custom because the forefathers of Sherpas had adopted the religion of Mahayana
Buddhism and the majority among them follow the Buddhist philosophy.

Sherpa Music Instruments

Due to human evolution, the evolution of musical instruments has also taken place.
People played and developed the instruments according to their ethnic and social
environment. The use of musical instruments has also been determined by religious
linkages, migration, spatial relations, and the modern phenomena that have been a
major factor in influencing music instruments from one place to another. So, these
instruments have given identity to a particular ethnic group and society. Similarly,
Sherpas have also developed the various musical instruments which they have been
playing for many generations. These instruments accompany the songs which further
helps to garnish the aesthetics of music. Instrumentation is one of the music
phenomena that geographers have studied historically (Carney, 1998). The origin of
musical instruments and the spatial dimension of music instruments dealing with human
migration, transportation routes, and the geographical environment are important
aspects in the study of

2.5.1 Religious music instruments:

Sherpa community plays this instrument in religious and ritual activities. Sherpas are of
Tibetan origin and as they are predominantly the follower of Mahayana Buddhism, these
religious instruments have been a great influence in the Sherpa society. These
instruments have been an influence of religious linkages which is similar to Tibetan
religious instruments. It has been transported as Sherpa migrated from Tibet to various
places in the eastern Himalayas with religious instinct in it.

Dorje Til-bu: The Dorje (Vajra) and Til-bu (bell) are the most important ritual instruments
of Sherpa's. Mostly, every religious head and lamas have a pair and know how to use
them. The religious heads mainly play it. Dorje is held by the right hand, and Tilbu is
held and played by the left hand. When there are religious worship rituals at home, the
monk usually reads the Buddhist scripture. In the middle period, there is a specific time
to play this instrument by the religious head. The other religious instrument is also
played simultaneously at that time. Secondly, after completing
religious worship rituals, all the monks play this instrument while reciting the Vajra
Satwa mantra. This instrument has a religious spatial relation with Tibet and the
migration of Sherpas has led to play this instrument in the modern world.

Dha-mar: It is a small two-headed drum used in the religious occasions of Sherpa's. It is

of different shapes. It is called Damaru in Sanskrit. In Sherpa Buddhism, the Dha- mar is
used as an instrument in religious practices. The religious heads mainly play it. When
there are religious worship rituals at home, the monk usually reads the Buddhist
scripture. In the middle period, there is a specific time to play this instrument by the
religious head. The instrument is held by right hand with Tilbu in the left hand and
played together at the same time. The other religious instruments are also played
simultaneously at that time.

Chyon-der/Chyo-dam: It is a small two-headed drum used in the religious occasion of

Sherpa's. It is only round-shaped and a little bigger than Dha-mar. It is called Damaru in
Sanskrit. In Sherpa Buddhism, the Chyo-dam is used as an instrument in religious
practices. There are different types of religious activity in the Sherpa tradition. One such
type is Chyo/Chyo-Tshok/Tshok-Lays. This Puja is performed in a melodious way. So,
this instrument is held and played by the right hand with Tilbu in the left hand.

Gya-ling: It is a woodwind instrument played by the Sherpas on religious occasions.

The Gya-ling is oboe-like in appearance with a long hardwood body and copper brass
bell. The instrument is generally covered with ornate embellishments of colored glass.
The double reed, which is made from a single stem of marsh grass, is placed upon a
small metal channel that protrudes out of the top. The monks play it. Firstly, it is played
in the morning, mid-day, and evening time after the Rak-dung is played. This entire
process is called Nesa. Secondly, when there are religious worship rituals at home, the
monk usually reads the Buddhist scripture.

Endless Knot:
Struggle and Healing
in the Buddhist World
Endless Knot looks at how Buddhist practitioners and those living in the Buddhist
world throughout time have understood dependent arising, the simple yet profound idea
that all things are dependent on other things. The endless knot represents the idea of
an endless cycle of existence (samsāra),
https://bampfa.org/sites/default/files/EndlessKnot_LargePrint_DIGITAL_v2.pdf

Saṃsāra (Devanagari: संसार) is a Sanskrit word that means "wandering" as well

as "world," wherein the term connotes "cyclic change" or, less formally, "running
around in circles." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra
Samsara is the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that all living things go through.
It's a core idea in religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. People are
believed to be stuck in this cycle, and it continues until they break free by gaining
spiritual wisdom or reaching a state of enlightenment. The cycle is often
associated with suffering, caused by things like desire and attachment, and the
goal is to escape it and find peace.(chatgpt)

The Sherpa main annual Festivals

 Sherpa women in traditional dress

In our homeland of the Solu-Khumbu, Everest, region we have many festivals, but three major ones,
which I am pleased to say a few words on below. Sharing about these is important to us because
celebrating the festivals here in Britain across our community (a small one of about 1000+ people) and in
our family homes is a most effective way of retaining connection to the culture of the land of our part of
the mighty Himalaya in this remote and very different land. By sharing we preserve our culture through
the action of explaining about it to our British friends, and, we hope in so doing adding a little to the
human and social wealth that we have in the United Kingdom through our multicultural nation.

About Losar: Losar is the festival of the Sherpa’s New Year. An auspicious occasion in which feasting
accompanied by song, dance and drink are the rule. We celebrate the festival towards the end of the
Western month of February. Losar aligns to the Tibetan calendar, and as such differs in point of timing to
Nepali New Year (which takes place in the April period).

About Dumje: Our Dumje festival takes place over seven days, and is about celebrating good health, the
prosperity, and for the welfare of the Sherpa community in general. Dumje takes place in the Western
calendar month of July. This is because then agricultural work has been accomplished and we take at
this time our herds to the upper pastures, and also coincides with our trading expeditions over to Tibet
being completed. A particularly important dimension of Dumje is for Sherpas, who are very spiritual
people, going to visit and offer prayers at the monasteries and offer prayers to their gods. Our young
people involve on the festival’s singing and dancing: a happy time for all ages is Dumje which sees food
and drink enjoyed greatly in good and happy spirit. We try where able as a community and on family level
to celebrate all the elements of Dumje that are possible within our community in the UK.

About Mani Rimdu: Mani Rimdu celebrations are held four times a year, twice in Khumbu (at the Tami
and Tengboche monasteries) and twice in Solu-Khumbu (at the Chiwong and Thaksindhu monasteries).
Monks in colorful costumes and elaborate masks impersonate gods and demons and perform religious
dances intended to scare the evil spirits.

On the concept of Mani Rimdu we are aware that our expression of a complex spiritual concept that Mani
Rimdu manifests is not easily at first glance simple for Western people to grasp – it can look like a quaint
folklore festival. It is not so regarded on our side, but relates to very tangible realities in the human
experience. Here we can say that evil manifests in many different forms and the forces that spy it, go to
battle with it, and may or may not defeat it in a person, a society and — as we have seen with for example
the Nazis in the late 1920’s to 1945 in Germany a venerable European land from Roman times in your
history – even nations, are very real to the human day to day life experience.

https://nepaliculturalheritage.com/the-sherpa-main-annual-festivals/

Gyalpo Losar is a new year festival of Sherpapeople of Nepal, Sikkim and

Darjeeling. The festival is celebrated every year from FalgunShukla Pratipada,
[1]
the second day of the waxing moon until the full moon.

Gyalpo Losar

རྒྱལ་པོ་ལོ་གསར།

Gyalpo Losar is also regarded as a Tibetan New Year. The calendar has a cycle
of 12 years named after mouse, cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep,
[2]
monkey, bird, dog and boar.
According to mythology, the Losar was first celebrated when an old woman
named Belmaintroduced moon based time measurement. People went to the
local spring to perform rituals of gratitude and offerings were made to the Nagas
(the snake god), or water spirits, who activated the water element in the area,
and smoke offerings were made to the local spirits associated with the natural
[3
world.
How is gyapo loshar celebrated?

Gyalpo Losar is celebrated for 2 weeks. The main celebrations take place during
first three days. On the first day, a traditional beverage called Changkol, an
equivalent of Chhaang is drunk. In the second day, which is the start of new year,
Gyalpo Losar is celebrated. On the third day, people gather together to have a
feast.
Various traditional dances representing the struggle between demon and god are
performed in the Monasteries. Mantras are chanted and holy torches are passed
among all the people in the crowd. A traditional dance depicting a battle between
a deer and the King is also performed.
Traditional dishes are served during the festival. One of the main dishes is a
[3]
soup called Gutung cooked with nine kinds of beans and meat, wheat, rice,
sweet potato, cheese, peas, green pepper, vermicelli noodles and radish. The
soup is served with dumpling. Khapse, a deep-fried pastry commonly eaten
during, symbolizing the start of holiday celebrations.
[5]
Firecrackers are fired to get rid of ill spirits. Traditional dances such as Syabru
are performed.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyalpo_Lhosar