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Festivals in Bhutan

Bhutanese people celebrate different festivals like the Bhutanese New Year and other seasonal festivals like the summer solstice etc. But the most common festival is known as Tshechu. It is in fact a religious festival, and is celebrated all over Bhutan, usually after the end of the harvest season. The Thimphu Tshechu in the capital of Bhutan is held in mid September. The main highlight of the Tshechu is the performance of the masked dances by the monks. There are many kinds of maksed dances all involving different moves, masks and costumes. All of them special religious significances. According to legend, all these dances appeared in the past Buddhist master's vision during their meditation. The steps and moves are strictly followed as it was performed in the past. Alteration of the steps is seen as sacrilegious and would not be attempted by any masked dance teacher Religious festivals are held annually in Bhutan's dzongs at various times of the year. The main purpose of the festivals is to ward off evil through music, dancing, and rituals and to bring good fortune to the next year. You can watch mask dances, sword dances, and fire dances performed in the courtyards of the dzongs. Each dance has its own spiritual importance and can be performed either by monks or lay persons, and most of the dances date back to before the Middle Ages. At the end of some festivals you can witness the unveiling of a "thongrel," which is a tapestry of sorts that is hung from a wall in the dzong's courtyard. It is said that watching the unveiling of a thongrel will bring you good luck.

Many visitors come to Bhutan to enjoy the most popular festivals, which are held in Paro in the spring and in Thimphu and Bumthang in the fall. Festivals are well worth attending because they give you a different sense of the Bhutanese culture, plus they're fun and entertaining. Due to the interest in the festivals, these are the busiest times of the year for tourism. If you wish to attend a festival, we strongly suggest that you book your trip well in advance, as seat availability on Druk Air is limited.

Dromche
Dromche (festival) generally include dances and this festival is dedicated to Yeshe Gompo (Mahakala) or Palden Lhamo, the two main protective deities of Drukpas (Drukpas = means people of Druk land or Bhutanese). Punakha Dromche take place in the first month of the lunar year and ends with 'Serda', a magnificent procession which re-enacts an episode of the war against the Tibetan in the 17th century.

Jambay Lhakhang Drup
The festival is held for duel reasons; to commemorate an establishment of Jambay Lhakhang (temple) in 7 th century and to honor Guru Rimpoche, a saint who introduced Tantric form of Buddhism in Bhutan . A variety of traditional and mask dances are performed and each dance bear significant meaning/importance. This festival is one of the most important in Bhutan and its high light is the 'Mewang" - the fire ceremony and the " Tercham" - a religious dance. A fire dance is held in the evening to bless infertile women so that they may bear children.

Paro Festival
There is a sequence of dances at Paro Tshechu. Most dances are the same at others Tshechus, but the sequence varies. On day one is Shinje Yab Yum, dance of the lord of death and his consort. The costume is of buffalo mask and long brocade dress. The day two begins with "chipdrel" traditional reception. The Astara (clown) welcomes the audience with the marchang ceremony. The the mask dances begin

Thimpu Festival
Thimpu festival is the festival of dances. Some of these dances are shacham or the dance of the four stag, pelage gingsum or the dance of the three kinds of ging, pacham or the dance of the heroes, shawo shachi or dance of the stags and the hounds, dranyeo cham or dance with guitar, shana or black dance, shaa nga cham or dance of the 21 black hats with drum and, pholeg moleg or dance of the noblemen and the ladies.

Tshechu
Tshechu is festival honouring Guru Padsambhava - 'one who was born from lotus flower'. This Indian saint contributed enormously to the diffusion of Tantric Buddhism in the Himalayan regions of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan etc. around 800 A.D. He is the founder of the Nyingmapa, the 'old school' of Lamaism which still has numerous followers.

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