Of the total arrivals, there were 71,807 international of which 63,367 were international leisure arrivals and 202,290 regional arrivals. The tsechu is a festival in honor of guru padmasambava one who was born from a lotus flower, popularly known as guru rinpoche, the precious teacher. It is also a time of religious devotion and of large, busy markets. This thimphu festival is witnessed by thousands of people from all over bhutan. Tsechu means tenth day and is used in much the same way as festival is used in english. A tsechu is performed as a tribute to guru rimpoche, a great buddhist master who brought buddhism to bhutan. Experience the best of both worlds, delving into one of bhutans largest and most intoxicating festivals and then immersing yourself in the spectacular natural beauty on several day hikes. I am looking at joining a group tour that will happen to be in paro during the 2018 festival, but is not specifically planned around it. Festival tshechu is a religious festival meaning tenth day held annually in various temples, monasteries and dzongs throughout the country. We traveled from paro to bhutan s capital and largest city. The number of tourists visiting bhutan increased to 2,850 in 1992, and rose dramatically to 7,158 in 1999. Bhutan has many indigenous celebrations apart from the usually observed government and national holidays. Kodi archive and support file community software vintage software apk msdos cdrom software cdrom software library console living room software sites tucows software library shareware cdroms software capsules compilation cdrom images zx spectrum doom level cd.
A tsechu is a buddhist festival in honour of guru rimpoche, the saint who brought buddhism to bhutan. Tsechu dancers, paro dzong, bhutan cloaked in long, colorful costumes, a troupe of bhutanese dancers resemble spinning tops as they celebrate at a buddhist festival or tsechu in the courtyard of paro dzong. Bhutan remains a much admired destination throughout the global tourism industry, particularly in the highend markets. Bhutan festival tour dates 2020 exact calendar for tours 2020. Majority of international arrivals to bhutan used air as their mode of transport to enter and exit bhutan while. In 1974 a total of 287 tourists visited the kingdom of bhutan. A tshechu or tsechu is an annual religious bhutanese festival held in each district or dzongkhag of bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar tibetan calendar.
Tsechus are religious festivals, but also large social gatherings, which perform the function of social bonding among people of remote and spreadout villages. The paro tsechu is held in the courtyard of the dzong, except for the final day. Tashi delek and attached here the pdf file for your documents and company files. Tsechu dancers, paro dzong, bhutan cloaked in long, colorful costumes, a troupe of bhutanese dancers resemble spinning tops as they celebrate at a buddhist festival or tsechu. Paro tsechu festival association of bhutanese tour operators. It is held annually in various monasteries, dzongs of bhutan to honor the guru rinpoche padmasambhava being his human form, the lotusborn teacher, who brought tantric buddhism to bhutan. A traditional bazam cantilever bridge leads to the dzong from across the river.
Here the spinning of prayer wheels, the murmur of mantras and. A highlight of the paro tsechu is the unfurling of the silk thangka so large it covers the face of an entire building and is considered one of the most sacred blessings in the whole of bhutan. Thimphu tsechu was initiated by the 4th desi, gyalse tenzin rabgay in 1867 and later some changes were introduced in thimphu tshechu in the 1950s by the third kingof bhutan, jigme dorji wangchuck. Zhang gong sheng jun bday august 24, 2016 duration. Thimphu tsechu festival is preceded by threeday dromchoe. Apart from the chortens there is a monastery called the druk wangyal lhakhang temple, built in honour. This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. The power of positive thinking v2 ebook pdf plr file can be sold this is the ultimate blueprint for people who want to progress further in life with a simple mindset switch. In spring the rhododendrons in the surrounding hills erupt in blossom and the je khenpo leads the annual procession of monks from punakha to their summer residence in thimphu. The representative list of the intangible cultural. The people of bhutan have many origins, but most are mongoloid or. Thimphu tsechu is by all means one of the biggest festivals in the capital of bhutan. Tourism in bhutan began in 1974, when the government of bhutan, in an effort to raise revenue and to promote bhutanese unique culture and traditions to the outside world, opened its isolated country to foreigners. The dochula pass is a mountain pass in the snow covered himalayas within bhutan on the road from thimphu to punakha from where 108 memorial chortens or stupas known as druk wangyal chortens have been built by ashi dorji wangmo wangchuk, the eldest queen mother.
Most dances are the same as other tshechus, but the sequence varies. During the festival, monks and laymen perform mask dances over a stretch of three to five days in a temple or monastery. The paro festival is an extremely ornamental feast that celebrates the god of the bhutanese, guru rimpoche. It is held from 9th till 11th of the 8th month of bhutanese calendar in autumn. Bhutan is a country with a strong buddhist foundation. Punakha drubchen and tsechu details windhorse tours. In 2020 it is from april 48 the paro festival offers a best opportunity to witness the bhutaneses rich culture and history. Perched on the side of a cliff 900m above the paro valley, it is one of the most famous of bhutan s monasteries. Religious festival dates are tentative, please confirm with your tour operator prior to. Bhutan thimphu tsechu festival 06 nights 07 days day 01 paro thimphu arrive at paro airport pbh, your visa will be stamped on your passport at the immigration counter, your guide and driver shall meet and greet you at the exit gate, they shall assist with your luggage and drive you to thimphu 55km 1. Perhaps, only the performance at drametse monastery retained the dance in its original form.
Bhutan is a land of soaring peaks, alpine meadows, and exotic flora and fauna. Thimphu tsechu 2019 in bhutan, photos, festival, religion. Birth registration death registration processing new citizenship identity card cid and special residence permit card srp census transfer name change and correction of date of birth processing replacementlost cidsrp cards change update of individual information issuance of nationality certificate change. Festivals or tshechu are a major part of bhutanese life and offer a unique cultural insight into this himalayan kingdom. To commemorate this special year, bhutan declared 2015 as visit bhutan year to allow visitors from all over the world to join in the celebrations of the bhutanese for a much loved and revered monarch. Bhutan festival dates 2020 exact calendar, thimphu festival 2020. After checking into your hotel and after refreshments you will visit the following. The gasa tshechu is the biggest festival in the small district of gasa in northwest bhutan. Thimphu dzongkhag administration, chhogyal lam, 11001, thimphu. The dramitse nga cham dates back to the 15th century, when ani chorten zangmo, of bumthang, was supposed to marry the son of the chhokkor deb. The representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity 59 the dance in different places.
The highlight of thimphu tsechu is the showcase of ethnic folk dance in the famous tashichho dzong in thimphu. The sevenstorey watchtower, the ta dzong, on the hill above the dzong, now houses the national museum of bhutan. Bhutan received a total of 274,097 visitor arrivals in 2018 which is an increase of 7. Paro tshechu is one of the most popular festivals in bhutan, held annually since the 17th century when zhabdrung ngawang namgyal, the founder of the state of. Religious dances of bhutan and their costumes bhutan society. Learn more and find out about remote access for library services. They look forward to thimphu tshechu each year, and when it arrives, they don their finest attire, fill their bamboo picnic baskets with enough food for at least a day. Today is the second day of one of bhutan s most intimate and traditional tsechu festivals the annual threeday nanglakhang tsechu festival or swan valley festival. The courtyard was packed with locals looking their best.
Bangkok post, oct 24, 2005 the sacred monk dances of bhutan offer both a visual feast for the eyes and a spiritual experience for the soul. Bhutan travel specialist, druk air representative royal bhutan. Tshechu are annual religious bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of bhutan. Abto secretariat has in stock paro tsechu brochure for sale at nu. Civil registration and census royal government of bhutan. There is a sequence of dances at paro tshechu conducted. On the last day of paro tsechu, devotees will gather within the compound of the fortress before sun rise to witness the unveiling of the giant thangka of guru rinpoche patron saint of bhutan. While many mask dances are performed, the local folk dances performed are very unique and distinct adding to the festive mood of the celebration. Tshechus are religious festivals of the drukpa lineage of the kagyu school of tibetan buddhism. Elaine dobson for a few days in october, in the himalayan kingdom of. Sources say guru rimpoche healed a king called sindhu raja by performing eight forms of dances representing eight manifestations of padmasambhava in the bumthang valley to restore the health of the king. Bhutan festivals calendar 2020 travel to bhutan druk asia. The most popular ones are the tsechu festivals tsechu literally means the tenth day of the lunar calendar when guru rinpoche, the patron saint of bhutan, was born though the exact time when it is celebrated may vary according to the temple or place.
If you are planning for it, please confirm your plan soon. Held in the grounds of a 12th century monastery in a remote area of bhutan, join bhutanese families who come from far and wide. The threeday religious event plays an important role in the lives of bhutanese people as it is an opportunity for the buddhist followers to immerse and cleanse themselves of the bad karma and to remind them of what to make of their lives. Experience the best of both worlds, delving into one of bhutan s largest and most intoxicating festivals and then immersing yourself in the spectacular natural beauty on several day hikes. Note that dates for festivals can vary by several weeks each year especially if they are adjusted to conform to auspicious dates. Bhutan festival dates 2020 exact calendar, thimphu. The tshechu in thimphu is the secondlargest in the nation, and people from all over bhutan attend, along with thousands from all over the world. The central feature of every tshechu is the cham dancing. Many of the dances performed at the tsechu are designed to teach lessons about how ones behavior on earth affects the. During festival dates, flights are easily fully few months before. Bhutan thimphu pdf chapter lonely planet this chapter contains the welcome to bhutan, bhutans top 17, need to know, if you like, month by month, itineraries, festivals, booking your trip, planning your trek and regions at a glance chapters from lonely planets bhutan guidebook your journey to bhutan starts here. A tsechu is a buddhist celebration in honor of guru rimpoche, the saint who got buddhism to bhutan.
He also devised a style of national dress and initiated the tsechu festival, for which bhutan is now famous. This festival is a ceremony of colors with a happy amalgamation of the changing nature and the many moods of the bhutanese culture. Paro tsechu brochure available association of bhutanese tour. Paro tsechu is one of the most well known festivals in bhutan. The form of government shall be that of a democratic. It is a sovereign independent country and one that is rich in age. Thimphu tsechu is a threeday festival of religious ceremonies and costumed dances held in thimphu, the capital city of bhutan. Birth registration death registration processing new citizenship identity card cid and special residence permit card srp census transfer name change and correction of date of birth processing replacementlost cidsrp cards change update of individual information issuance of nationality certificate change update of spouse. Bhutan dance project, core of culture nypl digital collections. Bhutan is the last mahayana buddhist kingdom, and the teachings of this school of buddhism are intrinsic to the daily life of its people.
Read audleys guide to festivals of bhutan with recommendations for memorable travel. Perched on the side of a cliff 900m above the paro valley, it is one of the most famous of bhutans monasteries. For a summary of major festivals held in bhutan see p 19. D5 paro after breakfast, go on an excursion to taktsang monastery 5 hrs hike. According to ardussi,8 bhutans famous tsechu traditions of monastic ritual and dance were brought from nyingmapa monasteries in tibet and regularized at. Thimphu tshechu starts on the 10th day of the 8th lunar month. A guide to the tsechu festivals of bhutan sodha travel.
Tshechus are big events in bhutan, particularly for the large rural population that live rather isolated lives in the remote mountain valleys. Use this calendar to plan your upcoming trip and witness a festival when you are in bhutan. It also hosts paro tsechu, one of bhutan s liveliest festivals. Fly into paro by drukair flight royal bhutan airline. Nepal and bhutan myths and legends of the himalayas. Today is the second day of one of bhutans most intimate and traditional tsechu festivals the annual threeday nanglakhang tsechu festival or swan valley festival. It also hosts paro tsechu, one of bhutans liveliest festivals. Featuring socalled mask dances, these festivals are held in buddhist temples and monasteries, and are religious occasions for prayer and blessings. Before you schedule a trip around a speci c festival, check with a tour operator or the tourism council of bhutan for the correct dates. Tentative festival dates for 2017 bhutan tour packages. Apr 04, 2017 paro tsechu is one of the biggest tantric buddhism festivals in the bhutanese calendar.
The tsechu festivals of bhutan are a thriving ancient tradition that counts among the most compelling sights in the world. Paro tsechu is held for 5 days beginning on the 10th day of 2nd bhutanese lunar month and ends on the 15th day. The interesting thing about the dzong is that there is a water tower four stairs down behind the dzong leading to a water reservoir used for drawing water during battle times in olden days. Lopon tsechu rinpoche 1918, bhutan june 10, 2003 was a master of tibetan buddhism, widely regarded in the himalayas, with many students in both the east and the west. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details may not fully reflect the modified file. Bhutan, land of the thunderdragon, is a true living kingdom full of high mountain vistas, welcoming people, and colorful festivals. Spectacular bhutanese mask dances are a highlight of our photographic excursion into this timeless world. Paro festival attracts alot of locals and foreginers. While traveling to bhutan s central valleys, our journey takes. Mar 27, 2016 the sevenstorey watchtower, the ta dzong, on the hill above the dzong, now houses the national museum of bhutan. This was inevitable in the absence of any documentation or record of the dance, which could serve as an authentic source of reference.
Thimphu tsechu article about thimphu tsechu by the free. A guide to festivals of bhutan plan your trip audley travel. For example, the kagyu buddhist religious teachings were codified by the shabdrung to give them a specifically bhutanese flavour. To reduce the spread of coronavirus covid19 in new york city, all nypl locations are temporarily closed until further notice.
The tshechu is a religious event celebrated on tenth day of a month of the lunar calendar corresponding to the birthday of guru rimpoche guru padmasambhava. Held in the grounds of a 12th century monastery in a remote area of bhutan. Many of the dances performed at the tsechu are designed to teach lessons about how ones behavior on earth affects the afterlife, while others are believed to. As a boy, he was ordained as a monk in the largest. Tshechu are annual religious bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar tibetan calendar.
It has been held annually since the consecration of paro dzong in. Jakar tshechu, ging tsholing cham, ging 15659183839. Its jealously guarded isolation, aweinspiring himalayas, ancient culture and friendly people make it a magical place even for the most intrepid of travelers. Tshechu, or the mask dance festival, is the most important religious festival in bhutan.
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