BHUMCHU -The Drops Of Eternal Life
“Bhumchu” is one of the most colourful and vibrant festivals of the Buddhists which is celebrated with tremendous fanfare at the Tashiding Monastery in west Sikkim. The festival is believed to decide the fate of this beautiful North Eastern state of India in the upcoming New Year.
Guru Padmasamvaba’s teachings were known to have been encrypted by his consort Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal with the belief that the future generation would reveal them. They were stored in the clouds, the mountains and WATER.
This miraculous power of Padmasamvaba might have been revealed by the Buddhist Lama Ngadak Sempa Chenpo, in 17th century, which he consecrated in the holy Bhumchu pot. The pot is believed to contain the seed of Enlightenment. By the drops of this divine water, the sinful becomes virtuous; the pious realize lofty qualities and all are benefited spiritually. It is said that the sacred water in the pot has not dried up or become spoiled in the last 375 years, and it still smells fresh.
Undoubtedly, one of the most important and holiest festivals for all the Buddhists in Sikkim and around, it also provides a perfect platform for all those Non-Buddhists who seek a deeper insight into Buddhism and its religious customs, beliefs and rituals. It reveals how water, the primordial substance of our existence is deeply connected to Tibetan faith and the philosophies of Buddhism.
While the world is striving hard today to spread the awareness of saving water—it is quite amazing to know that, rendering gratitude to water and its conservation had been in the realm of the Tibetan philosophy and the Buddhist consciousness for centuries. Every individual in Sikkim seems to be immersed in an undercurrent of happiness. The Sacred water purifies the soul and purity of the soul leads to bliss.
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ABANTI SINHADirector
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ABANTI SINHAWriter
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Department of information & Public Relations Government Of Sikkim, IndiaProducer
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Project Type:Documentary
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Genres:Environment, Travel
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Runtime:40 minutes
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Completion Date:June 30, 2021
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Country of Origin:India
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Country of Filming:India
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital Osmo,Fuji,Gopro,CanonD90
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Aspect Ratio:16/9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Abanti Sinha is a Documentary Filmmaker, based in Kolkata, India. She has spent the last twenty odd years in her career as a journalist working with the renowned groups of the Print Media Industry, namely Ananda Bazar Patrika and Delhi Press Group of Magazines. She always had an inclination to writing and also a keen vision for exploring the untold stories of people, their life, art, rituals, the lesser known cult and culture.
Her passion of travelling to the nooks and corners of her country, to unknown places, interacting with people of different faith, beliefs and culture -- gave her the privilege of spontaneously mingling and interacting with people of grass root, getting involved in the truest sense to capture the essence of their prosaic life. As a director of the documentary films, her narrative finds a new way of unleashing her creative efforts.
Her film, ‘IN SEARCH OF PARBHA CHHAU’ produced by Ministry of Culture Government of India, is on a rare dance form of CHHAU which is consigned to oblivion. It is through the Documentary her findings for this rare dance form, has reached the world. It has won accolades worldwide in International Film Festivals like Standalone Film Festival and Awards Los Angeles, Rollout Dance Film Festival Macau, Lift-off Sessions Pinewood Studios UK, The Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival Frankfurt Germany. Some awards have also come its way. Special Mention Award in Dhaka Festival, Best Runner up Award in Cochin International Short Films Awards and Best Documentary award in Cinema4Screen Film Festival Mumbai, Best Documentary Film on the Intangible Heritage of India from Kerala State Museum Talkies International Film Festival are some to mention. The film has also been officially selected and screened in Indic Film Festival, Royal Stag Barrel Challenge and many others.
Her recent project ‘BHUMCHU – THE DROPS OF ETERNAL LIFE’ has been produced by The Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Sikkim. This film has been selected for screening at the Lift-off Sessions Pinewood Studios UK, River to River Florence Indian Film Festival, Fiorenzo Sera Film Festival Italy, Dhaka Cinemaking International Film Festival, and Noble International Film Festival. It has won the Best Documentary Film on the Intangible Heritage of India for the second time in the Museum Talkies International Film Festival, organised by Kerala Museum.
Having worked in the Cultural field for years she describes her journey as a process of evolving into an orator through the lenses. Her motto is to indulge and create more Documentaries and Short films on the diversifications of the cultural heritage of her country.
Bhumchu - The drops of Eternal Life, produced by The Information and Public Relations Department, Government Of Sikkim, is on a very interesting subject, WATER. “Bhumchu” means a sacred pot of water. The film instigates to seek a deeper insight into Buddhism and its religious customs, beliefs and rituals. It reveals how water, the primordial substance of our existence is deeply connected to Tibetan faith and the philosophies of Buddhism.
As seen through the Film maker’s eye, I feel that the philosophy is far beyond the ritual. The subject of water has been treated spiritually, philosophically, cosmologically, medically, and poetically in this ancient land.
Since we all know the significance of water in our lives, the festival shields the aspect beneath customary traditions. It is an implication to actually impend the importance of water. Where the world is striving hard to apply much reforms in the conservation of nature and water-- the traditional Buddhist ideology already nurtures the feeling through their age old philosophies and rituals.