Bhutan Thimphu Tsechu

When: Sep 2009

Where: Thimphu

The Thimphu Tsechu (religious festival) is one of the biggest and most spectacular of the Buddhist festivals faithfully celebrated in Bhutan, Himalayan Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon. A deeply religious country, local people dressed in traditional finery flock to receive blessings and watch mask dances and allegorical dramas performed in the atmospheric courtyard of the Thimphu Dzong (temple-fortress). Buddhism was first introduced to Bhutan around AD 800 by the revered Guru Padmasambhava, “he who was born of a lotus flower”, and it is in his honour that the festival is held.

Witness dramatic and colourful celebrations of the power of Buddhism in one of Bhutan’s greatest festivals.

Both monks and lay people perform in the dances and dramas as an act of meditation, seeking to personify the deity that they portray. Masked and dressed in elaborate costumes of silk brocade, dancers demonstrate the triumph of good over evil and the power of compassion to the haunting sounds of trumpets, cymbals and flutes. Dances are interspersed with folksongs and clowning, and copious amounts of butter tea and potent barley alcohol are consumed.

The dances, masks and costumes of Bhutan’s festivals are thought to have survived, unchanged, for over 1,000 years. Each dance is said to be an exact re-enactment of visions seen by Bhutan’s great Buddhist saints, and thus any changes would be sacrilegious. Today this beautiful and sacred festival remains a wonderful manifestation of a religious faith that is still a crucial part of Bhutanese daily life.

Thimphu, although Bhutan’s capital and largest ‘city’, is a charming small town. Cultural sites abound and the surrounding area offers wonderful opportunities for trekking.

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Come and enjoy Bhutan Thimphu Tsechu!