The Himalayan Kingdom Of Bhutan is a
beautiful and idyllic place with magnificent mountains, deep valleys and an
abundance of flora and fauna. The people value their traditions and customs
very much with the Buddhist religion influencing their daily lives in every
fashion. They possess a strict sense of dress code and are very friendly and
simple. Televisions, mobile phones, and the Internet which have been recent
entrants introduce only a few years back. They have not had any effect on the
lives of most of the people in this country which numbers approximately 700,000
strong across the country. Festivals are the main form of expression of
happiness shown by the peaceful people of this country.
Festivals
and events
The festival that the people of this
country wait for every year is the Tshechu festival that is held every year at
the monasteries, and the dzongs spread out across the country. The Tshechu
festivals held at the dzongs in Thimpu and Paro are the most popular ones.
These events are organized in honor of Guru Rimpoche. The Dochula Druk Wangyel
Festival and the festivals at Bumthang and the Chortenkora festival at
Tashiyangste are the highlights of the festival tradition in the country. The
details of the tour operator that
organizes the Bhutan festival tours are available at the site
bhutanmahayanatours.com.
The Tshechu
festival
It is the most popular and
spectacular of all the festivals in Bhutan and takes place in all the districts
of the country, but the timing varies from one district to another. People from
various parts of the country including some very remote areas gather together
at these festivities to enjoy a few days of bonding and harmony. The main
attraction of this festival are the cham dances where the dancers wear bright
costumes and colorful masks to enact the lives of the saint Padmasambhava, who
preached his teachings in the 9th century and other saints. A thongdrel is
unfurled with an appliqué thangka that depicts the saint in a sitting position
surrounded by other holy beings. It is said that people can wash away their
sins by taking one look at the thangka.
The Dochula
festival
This festival is held on the 13th
December of every year in memory of the military expedition held in 2003 to
repulse invaders who wanted to take over the country. It was started by Her
Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk in 2011 who had built 108 Wangyel chortens
and a temple in tribute to the leadership of the Wangchuk dynasty in retaining
the sovereignty of the country. It is held on the Druk Wangyel Lakhangs
festival ground. Tourists can experience the sight of dancers performing the
various incidents that occurred during this expedition dressed in colorful
costumes and masks.
Other
notable festivals
The Nalakhar, Jambeylakhang and Jakar
festivals in the valleys of the Bumthang region of the country are included in
a different part of the tour itinerary that should not be missed. Masked
dancers wearing bright costumes dance to portray the Buddhist tradition and
culture. The tour itinerary of the tour operators conducting the Bhutan
Festival Tours should also include Chortenkora festival in eastern Bhutan. Here
the dancers in masks and costumes portray the incidents that took place when a
mystic with tantric powers subdued and killed a demon that was terrorizing the
people.
