Title

Ongdala: The Initiation of a Young Monk

Description

Ongdala is an eight year old tulku or reincarnate lama. The film follows his public examination which took place in the Sikkimese village of Lachen in January 2007. Ongdala recites his prayers in the presence of the village assembly and is then initiated and welcomed as a lama of the Lachen monastery. This is followed by Ongdala’s first performance as a Black Hat ritual dancer and participation in the village’s annual rituals. His father is the Rinpoche of Lachen and the reincarnation of the Lachen Gomchen, Alexandra-David Néel’s teacher in the early 1910s.

director

Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.

editor

Phurba Tshering Bhutia and Anna Balikci-Denjongpa

Tag

Buddhism, Sikkim, Monks, Children, Intiation, Ongdala

producer

Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.

distributor

Dawa Tshering Lepcha and Phurba Tshering Bhutia

Language

Sikkimese

Location

Sikkim

Extent

00:22:53

Date

2010

Publisher

Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok, Sikkim.