Punakha Tsechu - 8 Days

Punakha Tsechu is a festival, which is celebrated to honor Padmasambhawa. He is believed to be the incarnation of the Lord Buddha. Padmasambhawa is also known as Guru Rimpoche. In Punakha Tsechu, you see the monks dancing in colorful dresses of the legends and chanting the manstras from the Buddhist scriptures. The monks perform the expressions of the wrathful and compassionate beings, including those of heroes and demons. It is the dance of the monk that blesses the people, that teaches the people about religion, and that protects the people from misfortunes and evil. You also see some dancers in clown masks with long red noses, as well as entertaining “astaras”.

The attendees also give a donation to these dancers with a religious motive, as well as, help and support the monks and monasteries. You also see the crowds in their best clothes and jewelries. There is also an imprint of the body of Padmasmabhawa on the wall of a cave nearby. Around Kurje Lhakang temple, you will also see small fairs, including fortunetellers. You also see people, who love to gamble. Before attending Punakha Tsechu, you have to drive to Thimpu, and there you visit the National Library of Bhutan, which stores a collection of ancient Buddhist texts and manuscripts. You also visit Zorig Chusum, which is a famous painting school of Bhutan.

One of the highlights of Punakha Tsechu is Tigers Nest that clings to the edge of a sheer rock cliff that plunges 900 m into the Paro Valley. History states that Guru Padmasambhava, the Tantric mystic who brought Buddhism to Bhutan, landed here on the back of a flying tigress from Tibet. He established Nyingma School of Mahayana Buddhism in Bhutan, and many Bhutanese believe that he is the protector saint of Bhutan.