Lākhey (

Nepal Bhasa Newar (; , ) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nepal. The language is known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhas ...

: लाखे or , lā-khé) (alternative spellings Lākhe, Lākhay, ) is the dance of a demon in the carnival of God.

Durbar Square Durbar Square or royal Squares in English, is the generic name that refers to the plazas and areas opposite the old royal palaces in Nepal. The name comes from Persian دربار ( Darbar). The durbar squares are full of temples, idols, open cou ...

, a historic plaza in

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

, facing ancient palaces and adorned by

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

temples, is always full of eager crowds on the last day of

Indra Jatra Indra Jātrā, also known as Yenyā Punhi is the biggest religious street festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. "Ye" means the old Newar people, Newari name for "Kathmandu", "Ya" means “Celebration”, and "Puhni" means full moon so together means the ...

, the festival celebrating

Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes Indra is the m ...

, the Hindu king of heaven. On this divine stage, Lakhe the demon dances among gods and deities relentlessly and carelessly. He is depicted with a ferocious face, protruding fangs, and a mane of red or black hair. Lakhes figure prominently in the traditional

Newar Newar (; , endonym: Newa; , Pracalit script: ), or Nepami, are primarily inhabitants in Kathmandu Valley of Nepal and its surrounding areas, and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation. Page 15. Newars are a distinct linguisti ...

culture of

Nepal Mandala Nepal Mandala () is the ancient geographic division of Nepal into different regions. It was characterized by three major divisions: “ Purwanchal” (Eastern Region), “ Madhyamanchal” (Central Region), and “ Pashchimanchal” (Western Re ...

. The Lakhe tradition is found in the

Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley (), also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley (, Newar language, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः), National Capital Area, is a bowl-shaped valley located in the Himalayas, Hima ...

and other Newar settlements throughout

. Lakhes are said to be demons who used to live in the forests and later became protectors to the townspeople. A female Lakhe is known as Lasin (). The other common legendary being in Nepalese folklore is the Khyāh, who is depicted as a fat, hairy ape-like creature.

Dancing Lakhes

Lakhey Dance is one of the most popular dances of Nepal. Performers wearing a Lakhe costume and mask perform dances on the streets and city squares during festivals. The mask is made of

papier-mâché file:JacmelMardiGras.jpg, upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti Papier-mâché ( , , - the French term "mâché" here means "crushed and ground") is a versatile craft technique with roots in ancient China, in which waste paper is s ...

, and yak tails are used for the hair. The Lakhe dance is characterised by wild movements and thumping music. The most famous Lakhe is

Majipa Lakhey Majipa Lakhey (Nepal Bhasa: मजिपा लाखे, ) is a special lakhey in Nepalese folklore. He is also known as the Peaceful Bhairava (शान्त भैरव). The dance of this Lakhey takes place only in the week of the full moon ...

who appears during the

Yenya Indra Jātrā, also known as Yenyā Punhi is the biggest religious street festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. "Ye" means the old Newari name for "Kathmandu", "Ya" means “Celebration”, and "Puhni" means full moon so together means the birthday of ...

(Indra Jatra) festival in September. He is worshipped as a deity. City dwellers offer food and ritual items to him as he moves through the city accompanied by his musical band giving dance performances. The Lakhe stops at major crossroads and market squares to give a performance. During the dance, a small boy, known as Jhyalincha (झ्यालिंचा), taunts the Lakhe, making him chase him in anger. Jhyalincha always manages to slip into the crowd and escape. Page 19. Gunla Lakhe comes out during

Gunla Gunlā (Nepal Bhasa: गुँला) (also spelt Gumlā) is the tenth month in the Nepal Sambat lunar calendar, the national lunar calendar of Nepal. It corresponds to August of the Gregorian Calendar. Gunla is a holy month for Newar Buddhists ...

, the 10th month in the

Nepal Sambat Nepal Sambat (, ''nepāla samvat'', meaning "Nepal Era") is the lunisolar calendar used by the Newar people of Nepal. It was the official calendar of Nepal since its inception on 20 October 879 till the end of the Malla dynasty in 1769. During ...

calendar which corresponds to August.

Other Lakhes

There are other Lakhes with particular characteristics. These mythical beings are said to reside in various parts of the city. * Michyāh Lākhe (मिच्या: लाखे) (meaning "fire burning demon" in

) is a spirit who is said to cause a fire by

spontaneous combustion Spontaneous combustion or spontaneous ignition is a type of combustion which occurs by self-heating (increase in temperature due to exothermic internal reactions), followed by thermal runaway (self heating which rapidly accelerates to high tem ...

wherever it resides. People possessed by Michyāh Lakhe are also believed to cause a fire. * Minpu Lākhe (मिंपू लाखे) also causes a fire.

References

External links

Lakhe Dancer photos on alamy.com
* * {{Newar Culture of Nepal Newar Demons Masked dances Ritual dances Sacred dance Legendary creatures in popular culture Nepalese legendary creatures Dance in Nepal Masquerade ceremonies in Asia Nepalese folk dances Culture of Bagmati