Festivals Of Bhutan To Look Out This Year 2020

The land of thunder dragons celebrates the festivals like they celebrate life huge and with great zeal and enthusiasm. Have a look around the festivals you need to look out for this year and plan your Bhutan vacation packages accordingly. 

Thimphu Tsechu Festival

Tsechu means "tenth-day", hence this festival happens on every 10th day of 8th month according to the lunar calendar. It is celebrated since 1670, from the era of Tenzin Rabgye. It marks the birthday of Guru Rimpoche. People wear colorful masks and the folklores from the 8th century are performed via traditional dances in temples, monasteries, and dzongs. You can see the entire nation on streets dancing, singing, wearing themed costumes and masks. It is the most important event and is celebrated nationwide. You can plan your visit from Sep 26, 2020, to Sep 28, 2020, this year to participate in this carnival.

Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival

Legends have it that Tibetan king Songsten Gampo was asked to build 108 temples to safeguard from the demons residing in Himalaya and Jambay Lhakhang was one of the temples built during that tenure. Also, Guru Rimpoche introduced Tantric form to Buddhism and to embark on the greatness of both, a 5-day carnival is celebrated. The highlight of this festival is a fire-ceremony and the traditional spiritual naked dance. The main aim of this festival is to wash away sins and to procure a holistic life. To join in the festival, plan your Bhutan vacation near Nov 30, 2020.

Wangdue Phodrang Tshechu Festival

Natives of Thimphu and Punakha gather together for a 3-day celebration to mark the completion of Wangdue Phodrang Tshechu. The Dzong was constructed in 1639 and since then it has an annual celebration. The highlight of this festival is the Ox dance. It will be celebrated from Sept 24 to Sept 26 this year.

Punakha Drubchen and Tshechu Festival

During this festival, you can watch the unrolling of Thongdrol to librate the viewers from their sin. It is a carnival where people celebrate the glorious victory of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal who protected Bhutan from the invasion of Tibetian forces. To enjoy this festival plan your vacation around March.

Paro Tshechu Festival

A rich Bhutanese culture can be experienced at this festival. A five-day festivities that leaves you spellbound and give you something to keep forever. The dances, plays, music everything will remind you of the glorious past of this religion and the saints. The gigantic Thongdrol is so mesmerizing and holy that it is believed that just by having a look at it you can wash away your sins. 

Haa Summer Festival

Food, fun and lot more await you at the Haa Summer Festival. You can taste their local dialects along with the traditional alcoholic drink Ara. Relish the time you spend at Haa village and enjoy the hospitality of the locals.

Matsutake Festival

Taste the best organic mushrooms as the locals celebrate the beginning of the harvesting season. You can explore the ambiance of the village Ura and meet locals to experience the true celebrations of this harvesting festival.

Jomolhari Mountain Festival

A nation that celebrates trekking too. If you love trekking then this festival is for you. It starts from the base of the mountain Jomolhari. The locals celebrate the beauty around them in a 2-day festival. It usually starts in October and you can enjoy the local dance and food.

Nimalung Festival

This is an annual celebration that lasts for 3 days and the divine Guru Tshengye Thongdrol is rolled out to bless the visitors and participants there. Nimalung Buddhist Monastery is the location where it takes place and more than 1000 people can be seen participating in this carnival. If you are booking your Bhutan vacation packages in July then it is advised to at least observe this for yourself.

Sakteng Festival

It is the local festival of the people of Sakten valley, which is located 3000 meters above the sea level. If you want to admire the picturesque location and taste the authentic Bhutan then you must visit this secluded village which is still unaware of the modernization. The locals dress up in traditional attires and perform local dance like Yak dance and Ache Lhamo. 

Bhutan is all about celebrating every part of your life. A land where trekking, nature, harvesting everything is celebrated. There is no way that you book Bhutan vacation packages and not taste the local wine- Ara. The people here are so friendly that you will fall in love with them. Their hospitality is at par and you for sure can not deny that. It is advisable to visit in a month when most of the festivals are going on. However, this vacation in Bhutan will teach you many cultural and moral values. One will surely take many lessons from here. Learn the art of Bhutanese dance, visit the monasteries, taste the authentic food and experience larger than life celebrations. It is a very underrated location but once you visit here it will surely leave you mesmerized and will tell you many folklores about the bravery of the monks and saints that have resided here for years.