In cham performances, the Atsara dancer portrayed the Indian pandits (religious scholars) who came to Tibet between the 7^th and 12^th centuries to teach Indian Buddhism. The dancer wore a long brocade robe and red silk dress, with a mask said to depict the facial features of a man from East India. He carried an incense burner and a ritual thighbone trumpet. The trumpet, believed to have mystical powers, produced fierce, otherworldly, and bone-penetrating sounds to terrify evil spirits. The Atsara dancer frolicked about during performances and entertained spectators in comical interludes between the long ritual dances.