Bumchu

Bumchu Festival is one of the most popular festivals among the people of the north-eastern state of Sikkim. It is held in the time period of January to February. It is one of the most important festivals for the Buddhist people of the state.

The main site of the festival of Bumchu at Sikkim is a monastery in Sikkim called the Tashiding Monastery. The popularity of the Bumchu festival is so wide-spread that many people from outside the state throng this place during this festival. The neighboring states which also take part in this festival include Bhutan, Nepal and Darjeeling.

Bumchu of Sikkim has got its name from a pot termed bumchu, which is supposed to contain some water. This water is said to be turned holy by Ngadak Sempa Chenpo. He chants the mantra called Amne mantra as many as 5 billion times to turn the pot water holy. It is popularly believed that the content of water in the pot indicates what lies ahead for the people of the state in the next one year.

During the festival of Bumchu in Sikkim, a small amount of water in the pot is said to indicate that the following year would be a year of diseases and trauma for the people of Sikkim. The half-filled pot is supposed to signify that the coming year will bring along a lot of economic development in the state. A completely filled pot is said to suggest that the coming year will see many anarchy and unrest.