TSANG PHUG ARA DUTSI

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A ten minute walk north of Melamchi village along a steep ridge, is a low cave that opens onto the face of a cliff. A small trickle of water has carved a pout out of the cave entrance. The cave is only about a metre high in most places and shows evidence of being water carved. The Tsang Phug Ara Dutsi, -Full Cave of Blessed Wine Nectar-, is special for the women of the village. In local mythology it is said to have been the menstruation cave of Mandharava, Indian princess and consort disciple of Guru Rimpoche. She came to visit while he was practising at –>Nida Rangjoin Phug, and following custom, she retreated to a cave in order not to taint him while she was menstruating.The waters of the spring, passing through layers of iron laden rock, collect in a shallow pool in the centre of the cave. Red mud collects at the bottom and it is said to be the blood of Mandharava, and is considered to be a potent blessing of fertility. In the back of the cave is a low flat ridge that serve as a rogh altar for the 'Buddhas' that are naturally formed by the steady dripping of mineral laden water over the centuries.Visitors to the cave, in order to receive its blessing, partake in an elaborate ritual. They first wash their hands and face in the water, then bring some to their lips in order to drink, in much the same way as taking blessed wine at a puja. They run their hands through their hair, then touch each of the 'Buddhas', collecting the red mud on their fingers. Their foreheads are marked with the mud, leaving a streak that will last for some days.