Masked Dances
The demon dance of Majipā Lākhey is performed on the streets and market squares. The Majipa Lakhey dancer and his retinue of musicians move aimlessly through the streets spreading the festive mood.
The Sawa Bhakku dance group from Halchok, at the western edge of the Kathmandu Valley, makes its rounds along the festival route, stopping at major street squares to perform and receive offerings from devotees. The dancers consist of Bhairava (in blue) holding a sword and his two attendants (in red). The ensemble is also known informally as Dhin Nāli Sintān after the sound of their music.
Devi Pykhan from Kilagal is performed at Kilagal and Jaisidewal.
Māhākāli Pykhan from Bhaktapur performs at Durbar Square and major street squares around Kathmandu.
Khyāh Pyākhan (ख्याः प्याखं) features dancers dressed in a costume representing the Khyah, a fat, hairy ape-like creature. Their dance is marked by antics and tumbling.
Pulu Kisi (alternate name Tānā Kisi), a wicker representation of an elephant, runs around town re-enacting Indra's elephant searching frantically for its master.
Read more about this topic: Yenya
Famous quotes containing the word dances:
“We have dancing ... from soon after sundown until a few minutes after nine o’clock.... Occasionally the boys who play the female partners in the dances exercise their ingenuity in dressing to look as girlish as possible. In the absence of lady duds they use leaves, and the leaf-clad beauties often look very pretty and always odd enough.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)