Bhutan Festival Tours
The Kingdoms history is characterized by religious land marks. The influence of religion is highly visible in every day life of the lay population. Bhutan is a spiritual nation, hundreds of sacred monasteries, stupas, religious institutions, prayer flags and prayer wheels which dot the country side provide a strong infrastructure and atmosphere for the teachings of living faith. Festivals or Tshechus are important events and celebrated throughout Bhutan. The term ‘Tshechu’ literally translates into10th day of Bhutanese lunar calendar which is considered auspicious. During Tshechus, chaams (religious dances) are performed either by monks or by lay people. Beside the religious dances and singers, there are Atsaras who usually wear masks with big red noses. To most, Atsaras are the soul of Tshechu or festival. They joke and yet they are the ones who maintain order. People also believe that they are the religious teacher. Tshechu is a very colourful event where people dressed in their best cloths and jewellery, eat, socialize, and make merry. Most importantly, people go to Tshechu, as it being a religious festival, to gain merits. Most Dzong have an annual Tshechu with a series of traditional and colorful dances performed by trained dancers and monks in honor of Guru Rinpoche. Dates of tshechus vary from district to district.
1. Thimphu Festival tour
Religious festivals, or Tsechus, are held annually in Dzongs (fortress monasteries) throughout the country. Many outstanding Buddhist saints like Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century, and Pemalingpa, Shabdrung and Dorjilingpa in the 14th to 16th centuries resorted to dances to subdue demons and evil spirits, and to overcome obstacles that were preventing the spread of Buddhism in the high Himalayan valleys. The dances are performed by trained monks….. (Read more…)
2. Paro Festival Tour
Paro Festival is one of the popular festival in Bhutan. The unfolding of the silk Thangka – which is so large that it covers the face of the building -is considered one of the most sacred blessings in the whole of Bhutan. The ‘Thangka’ is a religious picture scroll known as a Thongdroel and it is exhibited for a few hours, at day break of the final day of the festival, enabling the people to obtain its blessing. This holy scroll ‘confers liberation by the mere sight of it’ (the meaning of the word ‘thongdroel’ in Bhutanese). This festival is…. (Read more…)
3. Jambay Lhakhang & Prakhar Festival
Religious festivals, or Tsechus, are held annually in Dzongs (fortress monasteries) throughout the country. Many outstanding Buddhist saints like Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century, and Pemalingpa, Shabdrung and Dorjilingpa in the 14th to 16th centuries resorted to dances to subdue demons and evil spirits, and to overcome obstacles that were preventing the spread of Buddhism in the high Himalayan valleys. The dances are performed by trained monks and laymen wearing costumes that depict the creatures that you can expect to meet…. (Read more…)
