Facts for Travellers

The dances are known as Cham and are performed to bless onlookers, to teach them the Buddhist dharma, to protect them from misfortune and to exorcise all evil, the dancers who take on the aspects of wrathful and compassionate deities, heroes, demons and animals do this. Shabdrung Nawang Namgyel and Pema Lingpa were main figures who composed many of the dances. It is believed that merit is gained by attending these religious festivals.
 

The dances invoke the deities to wipe out misfortunes, increase luck and general personal wishes. Onlookers rarely fail to notice the Atsara or clowns who move through the crowds, mimicking the dancers and performing comic routines in their masks with the long red noses. A group of ladies perform traditional Bhutanese dances during the intervals between masked dances.

An auspicious event of the many of the Tshechus is the in furling of the Thongdrel from the building overlooking the dance area. This is done before sunrise and most people rush to witness the moment. Thongdrols are large Thangkas or religious pictures that re usually embroidered rather than painted. The word itself means, “liberation on sight”. It is believed that sins are wiped away simply by viewing it.

Apart from its religious implications, the tshechu is also known as an annual social gathering where people dress in their finest clothing and Jewellery.