Thimi locals observing Bhairav dance after 32 years

By Binu Shrestha,Kathmandu, Aug. 30: The Prajapati community of Madhyapur Thimi, which revived the historically and religiously significant Mahakali dance after a gap of 80 years in 2022, will be performing another significant Thimi Bhairav (Bhaila) dance this year – for the first time in 32 years. 

The community will be staging the masked dance for four days, after Saparu (Gai Jatra), in the ancient city after three decades. This year, the Thimi Bhaila Management Committee is managing the dance which will begin from Chapachowk, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-5 and 6. 

The Devgans go around through their designated routes reaching various junctions and platforms (Dabalis) of the city. 

Five Devgans are associated with the Bhairav dance. Each of them performs the dance of five various deities. Sagart Prajapati will perform as Jyapu Gacha (Harisiddhi), Nuhapa Bhaila (Prachanda Bhairav) will be performed by Shyam Prajapati, Lipa Bhaila (Batuk Bhairva) by Sajan Prajapati, Nuhapa Dagi (Balkumari) by Niroj Prajapati, and Lipa Dagi (Mahakali) dance by Nayan Prajapati. 

Bishnu Bahadur, a 56-year-old dance teacher, has taught them to perform the revived masked dance. 

Initially, the Thimi Bhairav dance used to be performed by a single leader and group of the Prajapati community. Since 1988, two groups and two leaders have started performing this dance. One dance group is led by Shree Gopal Prajapati and the other by Dinanath Prajapati, shared Samir Sankhadev, a local dance teacher of Mahakali dance. 

This year, the dance of the group led by Dinanath Prajapati is going to be revived after a gap of 32 years.  "The dance steps of the two groups differ from each other," he added.  

 Elaborating on the rules the dancers need to follow, Sankhadev said that the dancers should not be touched by dogs, their legs should not be touched by other people, the mother and father of the dancers should not observe the performance, and the dancers’ family members should not watch it from their window and balcony of their home.  

Sankhadev, 33, who lives in Digu Tol and who is active in teaching the dance to the new generation to revive the traditional masked performance, said that from a child aged seven to youth aged 26 are performing the Bhairav dance. Among the five Devgans, the character of Jyapu Gacha (Harisiddhi) must be played by a child aged 6-7.  

The locals have also formed a committee to manage all the things necessary to bring the Thimi Bhairav dance back to life. Individuals and organisations have contributed through donations to meet the expenses, he added. 

The dancer who performs the role of Bhairav should pay Rs. 100,000 to the committee from his pocket, the person performing Dagi dance should pay Rs. 50,000  and the child performing Jyapu Gacha dance needs to pay Rs. 25,000. 

The local government has provided Rs. 400,000 for Bhairav dance this year. In the past, the local level used to allocate  Rs. 200,000 for the cultural dance. 

Sankhadev further informed that Layaku Bhaila dance, an ancient masked dance, performed by the Newar Community in the Madhyapur Thimi will not be performed this year.  Bhairav dance is going to be performed instead.  

As per the tradition and rule, only a single masked dance can be performed in a year among the three dances – Layaku dance, Shree Gopal Prajapati-led Bhairav dance and Dinanath Prajapati-led Bhairav dance. They will be performed turn by turn each year in Madhyapur Thimi, he said.    

Mahakali dance,  which was revived last year and was staged for four days after Saparu (Gai Jatra) last year, will be limited to a day this year due to the Bhairav dance. 

The masked dance will be staged on September 5.  The route around the junctions and platforms (Dabalis) of the Bhairav and Mahakali dances is the same. The two dances should not be met each other so we have limited the Mahakali Dance to a single day this year after holding a discussion with the local community, he said. 

He further informed that Layaku Bhaila dance, an ancient masked dance, is performed by the Shrestha Community in Madhyapur Thimi.