Tharpaling Thongdrel

When it happens

The festival is described as a single-day observance whose date is tied to the Bhutanese lunar calendar and shifts each year. It usually falls in early spring, around March.

Where it happens

Tharpaling is a monastery in Chumey, in the south-western part of Bumthang. It sits high and remote on the slopes above the Chumey valley. Altitude in Chumey ranges from about 2,200 to 4,485 metres.

The monastery has several sacred temples and pilgrimage sites associated with Guru Rinpoche and Kuenkhen Longchen Rabjam (Longchenpa). It houses about 150 monks and meditators.

History

Longchenpa was a 14th-century Buddhist master. Tharpaling is bound to him, and that association is the site’s defining heritage.

Rituals

The festival is usually described as centred on the unfurling of a giant thongdrel. That display, together with the monastery’s link to Longchenpa, is often described as what sets this festival apart.

Being there

Tharpaling is about 40 kilometres from Bumthang town, reached by a climb off the central highway in the Chumey area. Jambay Lhakhang Drup, in the same district, is often described as the nearest headline festival, though the two usually fall in different seasons.

Its audience is usually described as largely local and devotional.