Paro Tshechu

The colourful tradition of tshechus began in Bumthang when Guru Padmasambhava helped to heal the king of the nation. Sindhu Raja, the then-king of Bhutan, was on the verge of death when Guru Padmasambhava, with his powers and belief, healed him. He performed a series of dance in Bumthang valley, which cured the ailment of the king. After the king was healed, he helped Guru Padmasambhava in promoting Buddhism in Bhutan. That is when the first tshechu was held, where Dance of Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche was performed.

During the Paro tshechu, the fifth and the last day witness a huge amount of crowd and excitement. No matter what, people do not miss the last day's celebrations, especially in the early morning. The day begins with the unwinding of a Thangka of Guru Rinpoche on the wall of the fortress. It is considered the most auspicious ceremony. People's life sins are believed to be washed away by having a look at this auspicious thongdroel.

The ceremony takes place early in the morning and is followed by masked dances.  Very significant masked dances take place on the last day of the tshechu. The eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche are re-enacted on this day only, and this is a performance not to be missed for the world. It is colourful and vibrant and the entire atmosphere around people would be engrossed in the festival.

Educational Purpose

ü  Different types of mask dances

ü  Purpose and importance of mask dances and folk dances

ü  Bhutanese unique textiles especially Bhutanese attires (Gho and Kira)

ü  Festivals

ü  The celebration of togetherness with your families and locality

ü  Significance of Tshechu Celebration

ü  Bhutanese culture and traditionEducational purpose of this pictures