Festivals of Bhutan - Himalayan Kingdom Tours

Festivals of Bhutan

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<<< Tshechu Mask Dance

The largest annual festival in Bhutan is the Tshechu, an event honoring Guru Rinpoche through Religious dances performed by the monks as well as by lay people. The dates and duration of the Tshechu festivals vary among dzongkhags (Districts) but they always fall on or around the 10th day of the month in the Bhutanese calender.

The dances are known as Cham and are performed to bless onlookers, to teach them the Buddhist dharma, to protect them from misfortune and to exorcise all evil; the dancers who take on the aspects of wrathful and compassionate deities, heroes, demons, and animals do this. Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and Pema Lingpa were main figures who composed many of the dances.

Dance of Guru Rinpoche >>>

It is believed that merit is gained by attending this Religious festival. The dances invoke the deities to wipe out misfortunes, increase luck and grant personal wishes. Onlookers rarely fail to notice the Atsaras or clowns who move through the crowds mimicking the dancers and performing comic routines in their mask with long red noses. A group of ladies perform traditional Bhutanese dances during the intervals between mask dances.

An auspicious event of the many of the Tshechus is the unfurling of the Thongdrol from the main building overlooking the dance area. This is done before sunrise and most people rush to witness the moment. Thongdrols are large Thangkas or Religious pictures that are usually embroidered rather than painted. The word itself means 'liberation on sight.' It is believed that bad karmas are wiped away simply by viewing it.

Apart from its Religious implications, the Tshechu is also an annual social gathering where people dress in their finest clothing and jewelry. A small fair may be organized outside the Dzong for those looking for a variety of entertainments.

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Festival Dates :

BHUTAN FESTIVAL DATES FOR 2008

Sl	Festival	Districts	Dates
1	PUNAKHA DROMCHE	PUNAKHA	FEB 11- FEB 15
2	CHORTEN KORA	TRASHIYANGTSE	FEB 21 & MAR 7
3	BULLI MANI (CHUMMI)	BUMTHANG	FEB 20 – FEB 23
4	THARPALING THONGDROL	BUMTHANG	21-Feb
5	TANGSIBI MANI (URA)	BUMTHANG	FEB 21 – FEB 24
6	GAYDEN CHODPA (URA)	BUMTHANG	MAR 5 – MAR 7
7	GOMKORA	TRASHIYANGTSE	MAR 14 – MAR 16
8	PARO TSHECHU	PARO	MAR 17 –MAR 21
9	CHHUKHA TSHECHU	CHHUKHA	MAR 19 – MAR 21
10	URA YAKCHOE	BUMTHANG	APRIL 17 – APRIL 21
11	NIMALUNG TSHECHU	BUMTHANG	JUN 11 – JUN 13
12	KURJEY TSHECHU	BUMTHANG	13-Jul
13	THIMPHU DRUPCHEN	THIMPHU	OCT 4 – OCT 8
14	WANGDI TSHECHU	WANGDI PHODRANG	OCT 7 – OCT 9
15	THIMPHU TSHECHU	THIMPHU	OCT 9 – OCT 11
16	TAMSHINGPHALA CHOEPA	BUMTHANG	OCT 9 – OCT 11
17	TANGBI MANI	BUMTHANG	OCT 13 – OCT 15
18	SHINGKHAR RABNEY (URA)	BUMTHANG	NOV 4 – NOV 8
19	JAKAR DZONG TSHECHU	BUMTHANG	NOV 6 – NOV 9
20	JAMBAY LAKHANG DRUP	BUMTHANG	NOV 13 – NOV 17
21	PRAKHAR DUCHHOED	BUMTHANG	NOV 14 – NOV 16
22	SUMDRANG KANGSOL (URA)	BUMTHANG	NOV 23 – NOV 26
23	MONGAR TSHECHU	MONGAR	DEC 4 – DEC 7
24	PEMAGATSEL TSHECHU	PEMAGATSEL	DEC 4 – DEC 7
25	TRASHIGANG TSHECHU	TRASHIGANG	DEC 5 – DEC 8
26	NAMKHA RABNEY (TANG)	BUMTHANG	DEC 7 – DEC 9
27	NALAKHAR TSHECHU	BUMTHANG	DEC 12 – DEC 14
28	CHOZAM RABNEY (TANG)	BUMTHANG	DEC 12 – DEC 14
29	TRONGSA TSHECHU	TRONGSA	JAN 5 – JAN 7 (2009)
30	LHUNTSE TSHECHU	LHUNTSE	JAN 5 – JAN 7 (2009)
31	NABJI LHAKHANG DRUP (NABJI)	TRONGSA	JAN 11 – JAN 15
32	SHINGKHAR METOCHODPA (URA)	BUMTHANG	JAN 11 (2009)

BHUTAN FESTIVAL DATES FOR 2008-09

Sl	Festival	Districts	Dates
1	JAMBAY LHAKHANG SINGYE CHAM	Jambay Lhakhang, Chekhor, BUMTHANG	DEC 12 – DEC 12
2	NALAKHAR TSECHU (Zhey)	Ngaa Lhakhang, Chekhor, BUMTHANG	DEC 12 – DEC 14
3	CHOJAM RABNEY (TANG)	Chojamrab Lhakhang, Tang, BUMTHANG	DEC 11 – DEC 15
4	TRONGSA TSECHU	Trongsa Dzong, TRONGSA	JAN 5 – JAN 7 (2009)
5	LHUNTSE TSECHU	Lhuntse Dzong, LHUNTSE	JAN 5 – JAN 7 (2009)
6	SHINGKHAR METOCHODPA (URA)	Shingkhar Lhakhang, Ura, BUMTHANG	JAN 11 (2009)
7	NABJI LHAKHANG DRUP (NABJI)	Nabji Lhakhang, Nabji, TRONGSA	JAN 11 – JAN 15 (2009)
8	PUNAKHA DROMCHE	Punakha Dzong, PUNAKHA	FEB 13- FEB 15
9	PUNAKHA TSECHU	Punakha Dzong, PUNAKHA	FEB 16 – FEB 18
10	CHORTEN KORA	Chorten Kora, TRASHIYANGTSE	FEB 21 & MAR 7
11	THARPALING THONGDROL	Tharpaling Lhakhang, Chummi, BUMTHANG	FEB 21 – FEB 21
12	TANGSIBI MANI (URA)	Tangsibi Lhakhang, Ura, BUMTHANG	FEB 20 – FEB 24
13	BULLI MANI (CHUMMI)	Bulli Lhakhang, Chummi, BUMTHANG	FEB 22 – FEB 24
14	GADEN CHODPA (URA)	Gaden Lhakhang, Ura, BUMTHANG	MAR 5 – MAR 7
15	GOMKORA	Gomkora Lhakhang, TRASHIGANG	MAR 14 – MAR 16
16	PARO TSECHU	Rinpung Dzong, PARO	MAR 17 –MAR 21
17	CHHUKHA TSECHU	CHHUKHA	MAR 19 – MAR 21
18	DOMKHAR TSECHU	Domkhar, Chummi, BUMTHANG	APRIL 15 – APRIL 17
19	URA YAKCHOE	Ura Lhakhang, Ura, BUMTHANG	APRIL 17 – APRIL 21
20	PADSEL-LING KU CHOD	Padsel-ling Gonpa, Chekhor, Bumthang	MAY 25 – MAY 26
21	NIMALUNG TSECHU	Nimalung Dratshang, Chummi, BUMTHANG	JULY 10 – JULY 12
22	KURJEY TSECHU	Kurjey Lhakhang, Chekhor, BUMTHANG	JULY 12 - JULY 12
23	THIMPHU DRUPCHEN	Trashichhodzong, THIMPHU	OCT 4 – OCT 8
24	WANGDI TSECHU	Wangdi Dzong, WANGDI PHODRANG	OCT 7 – OCT 9
25	THIMPHU TSECHU	Trashichhodzong, THIMPHU	OCT 9 – OCT 11
26	TAMSHINGPHALA CHOEPA	Tamshing Lhakhang, Chekhor, BUMTHANG	OCT 9 – OCT 11
27	TANGBI MANI	Tangbi Lhakhang, Chekhor, BUMTHANG	OCT 13 – OCT 15
28	SHINGKHAR RABNEY (URA)	Shingkhar Lhakhang, Ura, BUMTHANG	NOV 4 – NOV 8
29	JAKAR DZONG TSECHU	Jakar Dzong, Chekhor, BUMTHANG	NOV 6 – NOV 9
30	JAMBAY LAKHANG DRUP	Jambay Lhakhang, Chekhor, BUMTHANG	NOV 13 – NOV 15
31	PRAKHAR DUCHHOED	Prakhar Lhakhang, Chummi, BUMTHANG	NOV 14 – NOV 16
32	SUMDRANG KANGSOL (URA)	Sumdrang Lhakhang, Ura, BUMTHANG	NOV 26 – NOV 27
33	MONGAR TSECHU	Mongar Dzong, MONGAR	DEC 4 – DEC 7
34	PEMAGATSEL TSECHU	Pemagatsel Dzong, PEMAGATSEL	DEC 4 – DEC 7
35	TRASHIGANG TSECHU	Trashigang Dzong, TRASHIGANG	DEC 5 – DEC 8
36	TANG NAMKHA RABNEY (TANG)	Tang Namkha Lhakhang, Tang, BUMTHANG	DEC 7 – DEC 8

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