Enjoying The Festival Tours Conducted For Tourists Visiting Bhutan

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.