mask dances
Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal introduced the annual Wangduephodrang Tsechu after the completion of the Wangduephodrang dzong. The three-day annual Tsechu is known for the Raksha Mangcham or the Dance of the Ox. It concludes with the unfurling of the Guru Tshengye Thongdrol.
Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag Dzong was gutted by fire on 24th June 2012. After the fire the Tsechu was held at the nearby Tencholing Army ground in Wangduephodrang. But plans are underway to reconstruct the Dzong.
Gomphu Kora is a small hamlet that lies 23 kilometres from Trashigang Dzong and two kilometers from Duksum.
Legend has it that in the 8th century AD an evil spirit escaped from Samye in Tibet when Guru Padmasambhava was spreading the Dharma in the Himalayas. It followed the course of the present-day Kholongchhu stream and concealed itself inside a rock where Gomphu Kora stands today. The Guru followed the evil spirit, meditated for three days inside the rock cave and finally vanquished it.
Presently, a chorten has been built on the site to commemorate the triumph of good over evil
The biggest attraction of Gomphu Kora is the circumambulation. People from as far as Arunachal Pradesh come to attend the three-day religious festival
The Kora is held on the 8th day of the second month of the lunar calendar.
The highlight of the five-day festival is the fire ritual that is held in the evening where crowds gather to witness the ritualistic naked dance. The temple is one of the two built in Bhutan by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gempo who was supposed to build a total of 108 temples. The second, located in Paro, the Kichu lhakhang was also built on the same day.
The Punakha Drubchen is unique for the fact that it includes the enactment of the battle scene between Bhutanese and Tibetan armies from the 17th century. The ‘pazaps’ are the local militiamen, dressed in traditional battle gear. The victory of the Drukpa soldiers who volunteered in the absence of a standing army ushered in a period of newfound internal peace and stability.
Legend has it that the Chorten Kora was built at a site where a young khando (dakini) from Tawang agreed to be buried alive therefore devotees from Arunachal Pradesh also flock to Trashiyangtse to attend this festival. Dakpa Kora is held on the 15th day of the 3rd lunar month corresponding to 28th February and Drukpa Kora (circumbulation by the Bhutanese) is held on the 30th day of the same month corresponding to 15th March every year.
Held every May in Ura Valley, Bumthang, the festival is famous for the Ura Yakchoe dance. During the festival, a sacred relic is displayed and attendees receive blessings from it.
Legend has it that a monk asking for a drink of water visited an old woman. When she came out of her house with the water, the monk had vanished leaving behind a bag in which she found the statue that is now displayed annually. The relic, which has been passed on from generation to generation, is still owned by the woman’s descendants.
The three-day Sakteng Tsechu is held each year at the Sakteng Lhakhang situated just next to the village. This is the time when Brokpas who come dressed in their traditional attire engage in rounds of local wine (ara) and indulge in merry making. The Yak dance and the Ache Lhamo dance are special dances performed only at the Sakteng festival.
The most important event in Paro Tsechu, held every spring, is the unfurling of the Guru Thongdrol, which is a feast to the eyes and of great religious significance to every Bhutanese.
A 15-minute drive from the road point that branches off from Chumey, Dasho Gonpo Dorji and Doring Trulku Jamyang Kunzang founded the lhakhang in 1935. The two-storied temple houses a magnificent statue of Guru Rinpoche.
The local Tsechu is held once a year in the 5th month of the Bhutanese calendar. During the Tsechu a Thongdrol (gigantic scroll painting) of Guru Rinpoche, 9 meters long and 12 meters wide is unfurled.
Mongar is the fastest growing district in eastern Bhutan with the Tshanglas and Kurtoeps mainly inhabiting it. The ruins of the Zhongar Dzong, one of the oldest monuments in the country, can be seen on the Mongar-Bumthang highway.
The new Mongar Dzong was built in 1953 at the command of the third King, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.
The annual three-day Mongar Tsechu is held every November at the Mongar Dzong and people from as far as Trashigang and Lhuentse come to take part in it.
