One of the popular festive events in the Bhutanese calendar year is the day of Ngenpa Gudzom (ངན་པ་དགུ་འཛོམས་) or the Day of Nine Evils. It is usually observed on the 7^th day of the 11^th Bhutanese month although the traditional astrological period of Ngenpa Guzom begins sometime during the afternoon of the 6^th day. Bhutanese generally spend the day partying and playing and do not engage in wholesome activities.

Why is it ‘evil’?

Ngenpa Gudzom is based on the lunar calendrical calculation and geomancy. The time of Ngenpa Gudzom coincides with the longest night of the year as it is the period of the malicious earth spirit Nyima Nagchen and eight other negative earth spirits. The belief in the many types of earth spirits (ས་བདག་) is believed to have originated from the geomantic traditions passed through ancient China. An ancient folk story from the geomantic tradition states that during the rise of the sentient beings in this world, an earth spirit Yadud Dorje and his wife Sasrin Barma had five children, four daughters and a son named Rahula. The siblings became separated over time, so much so that Rahula once travelled around Mount Meru and encountered one of his sisters but did not recognize her. As a result, they had an incestuous relationship on the 7^th day of the 11^th lunar month. The impurity of their incestuous relationship thus polluted the elements and the earth’s atmosphere, causing a myriad of evil things. According to some astrologers, the figure nine simply refers in general to a great number and should not be read literally as a numeral. In fact, in classical Tibetan it is common to use the term ‘nine’ to indicate profusion and multiplicity. Thus, Ngenpa Guzom is perhaps better rendered as ‘a day of many evils’.

How is the day marked?

Because belief maintains that during Ngenpa Gudzom positive forces are at a low point and negative forces are strong, people do not engage in wholesome and meritorious deeds. Instead, most people stay at home resting and relaxing. People are dissuaded from undertaking important activities such as construction, consecration, empowerment, charity, enthronement, funerals, and conducting trade. Families gather to eat a special meal and the men often spend the day playing games. Furthermore, according to tradition, the negativity of Ngenpa Gudzom is countervailed by Zangpo Chuzom (བཟང་པོ་བཅུ་འཛོམས་) or the Day of Ten Positives, which falls on the following day.

Such traditional beliefs are declining fast, so much so that Ngenpa Gudzom is no longer included among the national holidays. Yet the occasion provides socio-cultural benefits in bringing together friends and family to enjoy at least one day free of serious inhibitions or restrictions. It is a day when many Bhutanese temporarily hang up their moral hats and live with fewer strictures on morality and spirituality. However, it is also important not to misinterpret and exaggerate the significance of the pre-Buddhist tradition of Ngenpa Gudzom by taking it as an opportunity to engage in negative and harmful activities with the inappropriate belief that misbehavior is permissible on this day.

Karma Phuntsho is the Director of Shejun Agency for Bhutan’s Cultural Documentation and Research, the President of the Loden Foundation and the author of The History of Bhutan. The piece was initially published in Bhutan’s national newspaper Kuensel in a series called Why We Do What We Do.