Each valley of Bhutan will perform special dances and festivals called Drupchen or Tsechu, at least once a year. A drupchen is a religious festival in honor of the guardian deities. Tsechu, literally “tenth day”, celebrates the great deeds of Guru Padma Sambhava, the Indian prince and teacher from Uddyana (today's Swat in North East Pakistan) who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th Century AD.
The Tsechus most popular with tourists are those held in Paro from the 10th day of the 2nd Bhutanese month (around Palm Sunday in the gregorian calendar), inThimphu from the 10th day of the 8th Bhutanese month (2nd half of September to early October) and Bumthang (1-2 months after Thimphu Tsechu). One famed Tshechu is at Bumthang at Jambay Lakhang, well-known for the fire dances on the 1st night that are supposed to boost the fertility of women.
Masked dance, Thimphu festival (Western Bhutan)
Tshechus attract crowds that travel from all the corners of the valley and are great occasions for socializing, shopping, and to conveygovernment programmes, like health programs. Festivals reinforce the social life of the community and offer opportunities for making or renewing friendships, having picnics and drinking, or trading. In Bhutan, villagers who have moved to the larger towns are expected to return for the festival of their own valley, and they will often sponsor some of the dances. In some valleys descendants of the aristocrats of the manor will sponsor entire private festivals. These occasions accrue status for the monasteries and villages that stage them, and spiritual merit for those whosponsor.
Religious dances performed by the monk body of the district are interspersed with folk dances performed by villagers, others by officials of the dzong. In a swirl of colours, precious costumes, masks of animals and gods, portraying the good and the bad, the demons and saints of the Buddhist mythology come to life.
The dances are performed in the courtyardof the Dzong or monastery, and will last from 8-9am to 3-4pm for 1 day or several consecutive days.
Black Hat Dance, Bumthang festival (Central Bhutan)
The origin of the dances goes probably back to the animistic dances of pre-Buddhist Bön religion, but it is generally believed that Guru introducedthem into Bhutan and Tibet after he received, via visions, instructions on the dances from different deities. Guru subdued and converted opponents of Buddhism and evil deities by attracting and trapping them throughrituals, reciting mantras and performing dances. Guru Padmasambhava is believed to have performed an entire series of dances in his wrathful form to subdue wrathful dieties. Padmasambhava started the first festival of Bhutan at Bumthang's Kuje Lakhang wherethe dance of the 8 manifestations of Guru Rinpoche is performed on Guru's birthday anniversary in June.
Many more dances were added during the course of time by saints like Milarepa or Pema Lingpa and Shabdrung. Most dances or chams of Tsechus and Drupchens are the same, with local variations for dances typical of that valley. It is believed that to witness a Drupchen or a Tsechu brings merits and blessings to those who attend.
Masked dancers at Mongar tsechu, December 2018