When visiting a new culture, there is nothing that I love more than experiencing, attending or participating in a local festival. Just this past weekend was my town’s annual Aboakyer Festival, and once again it was a delight to join in the festivities. So when I was planning my trip to Bhutan, I knew I wanted to time it to coincide with a festival there, and as the calendar would have it, I was able to attend one of the biggest festivals, the Thimphu Tshechu.
Tshechu: a Religious Practice
Tshechus are celebrated in Bhutan, Tibet and parts of northern India. Held annually on the tenth day of a Tibetan lunar month, these religious festivals are marked by intricate masked dances performed mostly by monks and sometimes by laypeople. These dances tell stories and are meant to impart wisdom to the viewers and call back to the legend of Padmasambhava using dance to convert people to Buddhism. It’s also believed that attending these dances are a way to make merit for the next life.
Activities at the Thimphu Tshechu
Over four days, the dances are performed at the local dzong, a fortress and often a religious house. There is a set schedule for the dances that happen each year. Some of the dances are performed by monks who go into full meditation for the duration of the dances, some of them lasting more than an hour. There are also clowns who roam throughout the crowds, lightening the mood especially in the interludes between the dances. On the morning of the fourth day, the thongdrel, a sacred tapestry is unfurled in the predawn hours and then stowed away again for the year by the time the sun rises.
Each district in Bhutan has their own Tshechu, each taking place at a different time in the year. Check out the Tourism Council of Bhutan’s web site to find out when the next festivals are happening and try to plan your trip to attend one.