Religious dances depict historical stories
Masks turn the monks into figures from ancient myths and legends. With costumes they disguise themselves as characters from Buddhist history. Their religious dances depict historical stories. Temples are the setting. The Bhutanese people have flocked from afar: those who participate in the festivals receive blessings from the gods. But who doesn't feel blessed here? For when the monks put on their masks, Bhutan takes off her mask and shows her cultural splendor to all who are present.
For travelers, the festivals are a time to experience Bhutan's cultural traditions up close. Small festivals arise spontaneously at the end of the monsoon or as a thank you for a good harvest. The big ones are on the calendar. A special festival is Jambay Lhakhang Drup , in Bumthang. The sacred Jambay Lhakhang Temple was built in the seventh century by a Tibetan king and is one of the oldest in Bhutan. The highlight of this three-day festival is the Tercham , a ritual fire dance in which masked men dance naked around the fire to drive out demons.
The power of good is celebrated during the Gomphu Kora festival . In the eighth century, an evil spirit escaped from Tibet and hid in a cave in Bhutan. A guru managed to drive him out by meditating in this place for three days. It became a place of pilgrimage and during the annual festival, all of eastern Bhutan gathers in the narrow valley to commemorate the event. Other festivals are celebrated across the country.
Beginning of Spring and Autumn: Tshechu
The religious Tshechu festival takes place in honor of guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the eighth century. The festival takes place on the tenth day of the Tibetan lunar calendar and heralds the beginning of spring or autumn. During the festival, masked dances are performed and stories from the life of the holy guru are portrayed. The locals wear traditional costumes and are often decorated with beautiful jewelry. They believe that attending a festival is good for karma, and it is also an important social event. The biggest festivities take place in paro and Thimphu . But in the intimacy of a small temple, like the Trashigang Dzong in Eastern Bhutan, you can get one step closer.
