The Mask Dance Festival

Dancer of the Tshechu during the performance (Bhutan).

 

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Bhutan, the land of the Thunder Dragon, is known for its rich cultural heritage and deeply rooted Buddhist traditions.

Among the many religious festivals celebrated in this Himalayan kingdom, Tshechu stands out as the most important and vibrant of them all.

Also known as the Mask Dance Festival, Tshechu is a time of spiritual devotion, cultural celebration, and social gathering for the Bhutanese people.

The dancer could be performed by both monks and laymen.

A Tshechu (literally "day ten") is held once a year in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place.

They are large social gatherings, which perform the function of social bonding among people of remote and spread-out villages.

The focal point of the tshechus are costumed masked dances (Cham dances).

 

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