|
 Festivals of Bhutan
The Dzongs are the centre of social and cultural activity in
Bhutan. Almost every town worth a deko has its own Dzong where
festivals are held every year. The objective of these festivals
is to ward off evil through music, songs, dance and rituals.
The common dance forms include masked dance, fire dance and
sword dance. The dances are held in the main courtyards of the
Dzongs.
 Apart
from the normal Buddhist festivals such as the Lhosar, the annual
festivals are celebrated with great fanfare in Bhutan. The most
famous of these festivals is the Tsechu festivals held on the
10th day of the lunar calendar. The festival commemorates the
deeds of Guru Padmasambhava or Guru Rimpoche. The guru is known
to have introduced the Nyingma school of Buddhism which is dominant
in Bhutan. Normally these festivals last for 5 days. A tentative
calender of the festivals are given below.
| Punakha |
Punakha Domche |
February |
| Trashi Yangtse |
Chorten Kora |
March |
| Trashigang |
Gom Kora |
March |
| Paro |
Paro Tshechu |
March |
| Bumthang |
Ura Tshechu |
April |
| Bumthang |
Nimalung Tshechu |
July |
| Bumthang |
Kurje Tshechu |
July |
| Wangduephodrang |
Wangdue Tshechu |
September |
| Bumthang |
Tamshingphala CHOEPA |
October |
| Thimphu |
Thimphu Drupchen |
September |
| Thimphu |
Thimphu Tshechu |
October |
| Bumthang |
Thangbi Mani |
October |
| Bumthang |
Jambay Lakhang Drup |
November |
| Bumthang |
Prakhar Tshechu |
November |
| Mongar |
Mongar Tshechu |
November |
| Trashigang |
Trashigang Tshechu |
December |
| Trongsa |
Trongsa Tshechu |
December |
| Lhuntse |
Lhuntse Tshechu |
December |
|
