Festivals
Music, Dance, Rituals
Bhutan's numerous festivals are a joyful expression of its culture - and largely inspired by Buddhism. The Tsechu - or the masked dance festivals - is a rare occasion and a living testimony to the country's ancient past. These festivals are a dedication to Guru Rinpoche who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 7th century. They are held annually in every district (often in the Dzongs). As it has happened for centuries, people continue to converge at festivals both to pursue their spiritual practice and to participate in the community event. The Tsechu is a place to see and be seen. Tsechus are also an important social event for the Bhutanese. People come dressed in their finest. Women wear their most beautiful jewelry, families pack their best food for lunch, men and women joke and exchange tales, and children crane their necks to catch a sight of the day-long dances.
As the festivals are religious events, the ground where they are held is purified and consecrated by lamas, so when you are watching a festival you are, in essence, on the perimeter of an outdoor religious ground. The conduct of the onlooker should be governed with this in mind. The dancers whether monks or layman, are in a state of meditation. They transform themselves into the deities, which they represent on the dance ground. They generate a spiritual power, which cleanses, purifies, enlightens and blesses the spectators.
Certain Tsechus end with the veneration of a huge appliqué thangkha, called a 'thongdroel'. The thongdroel is unveiled at dawn to bring enlightenment to all who view it. Festival goers believe that by simply viewing this thongdroel, they can be delivered from the cycle of birth and rebirth, which is the ultimate aim of Buddhism. Some Tsechus also have a 'wang', a collective verbal blessing given by a high lama. Coloured threads are distributed and people tie them around their necks as witness to the blessing. Sometimes the wang is called 'mewang' meaning 'blessing by fire' which burns away their impurities.
Festivals are not pageants or entertainment events. They are not held as tourist attractions. They are genuine manifestations of religious traditions thousands of years old which visitors are given the privilege of witnessing.
