One of the best ways to experience Bhutan’s ancient Buddhist culture is to attend the Tshechu’s or religious festivals.
These Tshechus scheduled either at the beginning or toward the end of the agriculture season is a major social and religious occasion and still the biggest crowd puller in Bhutan.
Bhutanese dressed in their best come out with the entire family, complete with packed food, to attend the Tshechu, which has a carnival like atmosphere. Put together by the monastic and local community, Tshechus pay homage to Guru Rinpoche, the great Indian Tantric saint, who introduced Buddhism in Bhutan.
The Tshechu is like an open-air theatre where sacred dances, with deep religious messages, are performed by monks to the accompaniment of religious instruments in the cobbled stone courtyard of ancient fortresses or monasteries.
The Thimphu Tshechu, one of the more popular festivals, takes place in September, just before the paddy harvest. Choose the Thimphu festivals Tour or the Thimphu festival tour packages if you would like to attend the Thimphu Tshechu.
The Thimphu Tshechu is a four-day programme organized by the Thimphu district monastic and local community. Together with the sacred mask dances, members of the local community also perform songs and dances with artistes of the royal academy of performing arts.
The Thimphu Tshechu is performed in Tendrelthang, a new venue built adjacent to the 17th century Thimphu dzong (fort) to accommodate the ever expanding Tshechu crowd that can no longer fit inside the Dzong.
The Tshechu provides an opportunity to mingle with the local crowd and experience the spirit of Himalayan Buddhist culture and traditions, which continue to thrive in Bhutan. It also provides an excellent opportunity to take photographs of a festival and social occasion that goes back several centuries.
The festival generally ends with the display of a gaint applique Thangkha that carries the image of Guru Padmasambhava, Bhutan’s patron saint. You have to be there to experience this out of the world setting! Choose the Thimphu festival tour package with Bokar Tours!
