Must See Festivals of Bhutan
Must See Festivals of Bhutan – Some of the must see festivals of Bhutan are listed below. These festivals are not only unique to their own context but also culturally influenced. Various mask dances with folk songs and dancing are also performed as well.
Dochula Festival – The Druk Wangyel Tshechu is a unique festival performed by the Royal Bhutan Army rather than monks or lay people. It is a tribute to the wise leadership of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan. It also celebrates the continuous efforts of the Royal Bhutan Army in protecting the sovereignty and the stability of the country. This one of a kind tshechu is performed against the backdrop of the magnificent mountain range making one of the must see festivals in Bhutan.
Haa Summer Festival – The Haa Summer Festival is a lively and uplifting celebration of traditional living-culture, nomadic lifestyles, unique Bhutanese cuisine, traditional sports and religious performances. It provides unparalleled insight into the lives and traditions of Bhutan’s nomadic herders. Tourists can also experience the night at one of the many village home stays and enjoy the hospitality of the local people of Haa Valley. Haa summer festival is one of the must see festivals in Bhutan.
Black Necked Crane Festival – The annual Black-Necked Crane festival is celebrated at the courtyard of Gangtey Goenpa in Phobjikha valley. The festival is an occasion for the locals to rejoice and celebrate the arrival of this endangered and majestic bird which becomes an inseparable part in their daily lives during the winter months. The annual black necked crane festival is organized to generate awareness and understanding on the importance of conserving the endangered Black-Necked Cranes. The festival includes cultural programs such as folk songs and dances (some with black-necked crane themes) and mask dances performed by the local people, crane dances and environmental conservation-themed dramas and songs by school children
Naked Dance Festival – The 7th century Tibetan king Songsten Gampo is said to have built 108 temples in one day and Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang is believed to be one of them. The Jambay Lhakhang Drup is one of the most interesting and the unique festivals of all. During this festival, the chams (dances) include Terchham (Naked Dance), which was formerly initiated by Terton Dorje Lingpa, Mewang, Macham, Ging Tsholing, Dramtse Ngacham, Zhana Cham etc. The dances are performed by the local villagers of Norgang, Changwa and Nangsiphel. The festival is a five-day festival making it one of the must see festivals of Bhutan.
Gomphu Kora Festival – Gomphu Kora lies in the heart of the agrarian belt of eastern Bhutan. It is 23 kilometers from Trashigang Dzong, the headquarters of Bhutan’s most populous district in the eastern Bhutan. Gomphu means “Meditation Cave” and Kora means “Circumambulation”. The name is derived from a cave formed out of a rock-face next to a temple that has been built as a tribute to this sacred site. The biggest attraction of Gomphu Kora is the circumambulation. “Go around Gomphu Kora today, for tomorrow may be too late”, advises a local song that entices devotees to visit Gomphu Kora. The place comes alive, once every year, when people all over eastern Bhutan descend upon the narrow valley, dressed in their finery, to partake in the festivity, to worship and to reaffirm their connection with the past. The sanctity of the three-day religious festival even draws the Dakpa tribe from neighboring Arunachael Pradesh (India). They endure days of travel on foot through rugged environs with entire families in tow.
Chorten Kora Festival – A 2 hours drive from Trashigang is Chorten Kora, modeled after Boudhanath stupa in Nepal, where local people and Dakpa people from Arunachal Pradesh (India) gather in February/March for a festival to circumambulate the chorten. A similar festival in Gom Kora takes place 10 days later. Bumdeling to the north is home to wintering black-necked cranes and to Ludlow’s Bhutan Glory, the national butterfly of Bhutan.
Highlander Festival – The Royal Highlander Festival is held at Laya, Gasa district. It was first introduced on 16th Of October in 2016 to mark the celebration of the birth of HRH the Gyalsey; 400 years of Shabdrung Rimpoche and the Rabjung (60 years cycle) birth year of Guru Rimpoche. The Royal Highlander festival shares the beauty and the wonders of Gasa Dzongkhag through its nature, history and its age-old tradition and culture therefore making it one of the must see festivals of Bhutan.
Snow Leopard Festival – Jomolhari Mountain Festival is an exquisitely themed two-day event celebrated at the base of Mountain Jomolhari by communities located along one of the most scenic trekking routes in Bhutan. The festival celebrates the culture of the communities living together with the natural wonders that surround them. One in particular is the elusive, yet elegant, snow leopard. This endangered cat thrives in the region, several camera trap photos and definite signs have established the region as one of the best snow leopard habitats in Bhutan.
Trongsa Festival – The Trongsa Dzong is one of the grandest Bhutanese monuments. It is built on a ridge & has a very beautiful structure with more than 30 temples. The “watch tower” or the Ta Dzong, overlooking the Dzong on a ridge above the Dzong has a temple to Gesar. The Trongsa tshechu one of the oldest tshechus in Bhutan. It is believed that tshechus in other parts of Bhutan was spread from Trongsa Dzongkhag. All the chams/dances are just like regular tshechu of other Dzongkhags (Rang lug gi Cham). On the last day, a Thongdrol is unfurled.
Zhemgang Festival – Zhemgang Tshechu, one of the biggest annual festival is held in one of the remotest district of Bhutan i.e., Zhemgang. The locals along with the tourists gather at the Zhemgang Dzong to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche, the 8th century Buddhist Master and give offerings to the other deities. Different mask dances are performed for three days with the unfurling of a huge thongdrel (large tapestry) of Guru Rinpoche on the fourth day.
Festivals in Bhutan.
Black Necked Crane Festival. Chhukha Tshechu. Chorten Kora Tshechu. Dechenphu Tshechu. Domkhar Tshechu. Druk Wangyel Tshechu. Festival Dates of Bhutan. Gangtey Tshechu. Gasa Tshechu. Gomphu Kora Tshechu. Haa Summer Festival. International Marathon. Jakar Tshechu. Jambay Lhakhang Drup. Jomolhari Mountain Festival. Kurjey Tshechu. Lhuentse Tshechu. Matsutake Mushroom Festival. Most Famous Festivals of Bhutan. Mushroom Festival, Thimphu. Must See Festivals of Bhutan. Nabji Lhakhang Drup. Nalakhar Tshechu. Nimalung Tshechu. Paro Tshechu. Pemagatshel Tshechu. Prakhar Duchhoed. Punakha Drubchen. Punakha Tshechu. Remote Festivals of Bhutan. Rhododendron Festival. Samdrup Jongkhar Tshechu. Snowman Run. Talo Tshechu. Tang Namkhar Lhakhang Rabney. Thangbi Mewang. Tharpaling Thongdrol. The Royal Highlander Festival. Thimphu Drubchen. Thimphu Tshechu. Tour of the Dragon Bicycle Race. Trashigang Tshechu. Trongsa Tshechu. Ura Yakchoe. Wangdue Phodrang Tshechu. Zhemgang Tshechu.
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