The annual festival, Buli Mani, takes place between the 16th and 18th days of the first lunar month, attracting large gatherings of locals and foreign guests. Since the establishment of the dratshang, the resident lama and monks are the main organizers, including mask dances performed by the monks. The festival is dedicated to protective deities, Dorje Lingpa, and successive Buli Trulkus. The Jachung Michung drama and Dorling Thongdrol are unique features of Buli Mani.

According to oral tradition, Dorje Lingpa recognized that the landscape around Gaytsa village resembled a scorpion descending toward the village - a bad omen. Once, while resting at Lam Gonphai, his hat was blown by the wind to the site where Buli Lhakhang now stands. Seeing this as auspicious, he built a temple there to ‘pin’ the scorpion’s neck and bring good fortune. The place became known as Phurling (‘flying-landing place’), later corrupted to Buli.

Day One (16th Day): Tsukton

The programme starts well before dawn with clarinet music to awaken participants, followed by auspicious songs performed by female folk dancers in the middle of the courtyard. The lama and monks begin the Lama Kadu ritual, followed by thruesol (cleansing ritual) in the Duesum Sangay Lhakhang, where participants must receive purification before handling sacred objects during the festival.

Around seven in the morning, the ritual pauses at the tshog offering for breakfast while cooks and sponsors busily prepare meals for the main participants. By 9:30, folk dancers and villagers receive the lama and monks from the lama’s residence in a chibdrel procession to the Duesum Sangay Lhakhang for auspicious prayers (Trashi Tsegpa) and zhugdrel ceremony. People from nearby villages gather to witness the performances.

After zhugdrel, tshogtam (advice regarding rules and regulations) is given. The lama instructs mask dancers on proper visualization of deities’ physical movements and mentality, while female folk dancers receive behavioral guidance. Blessed water is then served to all participants, binding them by oath to uphold festival norms.

• Shinje Yab-Yum - Dance of the Lord of Death and his Consort
• Zhana Phurcham and Zhana Ngacham - Black Hat Drum Dance
• Acho Phento (Shawa Shakhyi Cham) - First episode called “shawa gangley phabpa”, chasing the stag down the mountain

Day Two (17th Day): Barton

The morning begins with the same routine as day one, though thruesol is not performed. Ritual prayers pause at tshog lhagma for breakfast before the day’s mask dances commence. In the kitchen, cooks and sponsors continue preparing tokha for participants.

After the mask dances, the feast offering ritual resumes in the lhakhang. Following dinner around 8:30 p.m., the unique Jachung Michung drama takes place, lasting nearly two hours. Many villagers stay in the courtyard to watch various clownish acts performed by atsaras. This performance is one of the unique features of Buli Mani, possibly a treasure dance of Dorje Lingpa, associated with Princess Wencheng stories, though her biography contains no relation to this performance.

• Shazam Cham - Dance of the Four Stags
• Dorling Ngacham
• Dorling Pacham
• Shawa Shakhyi Cham - Second episode called “shawa thaley tonpa”, driving the stag out of low-lying jungles

Day Three (18th Day): Droeton

The concluding day of Buli Mani begins with the same morning routine as the previous days. People from various villages have gathered for the festival’s climax, and the atmosphere is particularly festive as this marks the final day of celebrations.

After dhar offering, Tenwang (relic blessing) is conducted with the sacred relics of Buli Gonpa, including the skull of Thukse Choying Jamtsho, a terphur (treasure ritual dagger), statues of both Thukse Choying Jamtsho and Dorje Lingpa, and hats belonging to both masters. These relics and the tendrom (casket) are arranged on a long wooden plank, and devotees walk underneath to receive blessings.

On the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, a newly created thongdrol is displayed, paid for by generous patrons. The thongdrol depicts Terton Dorje Lingpa at the center, surrounded by his lineage masters and tutelary deities, serving as a final blessing for all who witness it.

• Shazam Cham
• Raksha Gocham
• Raksha Mangcham
• Shawai Jugcham - Solo stag mask performance by the chamjug, concluding all mask dances for the festival

Zhuri Duechod is a six-day annual celebration held from the 25th to 30th days of the first lunar month, coordinated by the Zhuri Lam family with participation from four villages comprising Chungphel Chiwog: Zhuri, Chungphel, Kertsho, and Bhim. The festival commemorates Zhuri Lama Kunga Samten and his father, Gyalwa Lorepa (1187-1250), founder of the Med Druk sub-school of Buddhism.

Located ten kilometers from the Chume-Ura Highway in a scenic forested valley, Zhuri village houses the 13th-century Zhuri Lhakhang, established as the seat of Gyalwa Lorepa and his miraculously born son Kunga Samten. Local legend tells that Lorepa emanated his heir through a ray of light from his heart, with a dzomo (female yak-cattle hybrid) appearing to nurture the child. The temple remains under the care of Gyalwa Lorepa’s lineage holders.

Day One (25th Day of the First Lunar Month)

On the morning of the 25th day of the first lunar month, the choeps arrive and begin preparing torma under the lam’s guidance, using more than ten kilograms of wheat flour. The torzheng work continues until late evening, when ritual prayers begin with tordrub after completion of the torma, followed by kangsha confessional prayers dedicated to protective deities and Kunga Samten that continue late into the night.

One of the four communities serves dinner to the choeps and those gathered based on rotating responsibility. Individuals bring flasks of choeja (mostly milk tea prepared at home) to offer the choeps, gathering around the lhakhang to serve based on personal devotion.

The evening comes alive with changkor, where villagers move from household to household singing and dancing. Beginning at the tsawa’s house, they visit nearly all village homes, drinking singchang and celebrating, while avoiding households in mourning. Zhuri’s unique loley celebration sets the festival apart as people participating in changkor go house to house offering puta and singchang while chanting “loley, loley” - phrases wishing good luck for the upcoming year. The group keeps the entire village awake as they drink and chant through the night.

Day Two (26th Day of the First Lunar Month)

The day begins with lhabsang purification rituals to cleanse village inhabitants and households from impurities, offering serkyem, sang, and ritual cakes. Next comes the Tshepamed ritual as an invocation to prevent disease, famine, evil, and wars while fostering prosperity and prolonging life. Following Tshepamed, rituals worship local deities (choesung and kyelha) to appease them and avoid village incidents. The festival tsawa concludes by prostrating and praying for the well-being of all sentient beings.

One community serves lunch on a rotating basis, typically featuring meat and rice with vegetables, local cheese, and butter. Bramney, a flat buckwheat specialty, is offered to choeps and served as an afternoon snack. This dish holds special significance as the soelhag (remnant) of Lama Samtenpa, who was eating bramney when he passed away.

In the afternoon, everyone gathers for Tenwang mass blessing as the lama carries Lama Samtenpa’s relic statue, circumambulating the temple three times accompanied by instrument-playing choeps and two young girls carrying bamboo baskets with evening tshog. People receive empowerment from the relic, which is then brought to the courtyard and placed on an altar with butter lamp offerings. Folk performances entertain the gathering until evening, when another round of changkor begins and often continues until dawn.

Day Three (27th Day of the First Lunar Month)

The day begins with lhabsang purification ritual, followed by the sungchoe propitiation and dedication ritual to the tsawai lama, and the recitation of empowerment texts.

The day’s centerpiece is sangwang - secret blessings given behind closed doors in the lhakhang. Groups enter until the temple fills, receive the blessing, then disperse for the next group until everyone receives it. The blessing uses remarkable relics, including the dzomo’s stone hoof print, stone organs (heart, kidney and liver), and statues of Lorepa and Samtenpa. While sangwang occurs inside, a person in a monkey mask accepts money offerings from those waiting, and khari (wheat flour dish) is served during the ceremony.

The gadpo and gadmo emerge, wielding wooden phalluses, beginning with propitious words before sharing obscene commentary about male genitalia. They conduct their annual ritual using drums and cymbals, praying for universal well-being and village peace.

Evening brings the mewang fire ritual dedicated to the fire deity, where people burn papers with deceased relatives’ names, believing the fire liberates souls from samsara. This is followed by gektre exorcism ritual and gadpo and gadmo changkor. Kralang Chodpa tradition unfolds as participants wake sleeping homeowners by sitting or lying on them while singing, using propitious words with relatives but obscene language with friends and neighbors. Krang chang alcohol placed on window sills awaits the revelers who visit each household, drinking and dancing through the night.

Day Four (28th Day of the First Lunar Month)

Morning begins with gadpo and gadmo thruesol cleansing ritual for the entire village. They visit households pouring blessed water from a bumpa while holding mirrors and silk scarves, with villagers welcoming them for household blessings.

Evening features chodpai changkor led by the lama and choeps, with people joining the house-to-house procession collecting one ladle of singchang from each household. All collected alcohol is brought to the tsawa’s home and shared among participants. The monkey mask performer concludes with “pra gi dechang” - a party funded by his accumulated offerings.

Days Five and Six (29th and 30th Days of the First Lunar Month)

Traditional archery competitions take place among village men. Women bring lunch to the archers and entertain them with dancing and singing, providing a relaxed conclusion to the intense festival days.

Zhuri Duechod serves multiple functions beyond religious commemoration, providing entertainment, strengthening social cohesion, and constructing community identity while offering participants opportunities for karmic purification and renewed faith in their lineage masters.

Organized by the Gedhan Lama family and Gedhan and Ura communities, Gedhan Chodpa is held yearly for three days from the 29th day of the first lunar month to the 1st day of the second lunar month. Considered one of the oldest festivals in Bumthang, this celebration honors ancestors and guardian deities through feast rituals and masked dances, seeking blessings from Yidam Chana Dorje (Vajrapani), Tshering Che-nga (Five Sisters of Long Life), and Gedhan Gadpo’s sacred narrations.

Located just above Ura Middle Secondary School, Gedhan is a small village of four households and thirty inhabitants, including the Gedhan Lama’s Naktshang (mansion). The community is also known as Bey-teng, with historical documents listing it as Ura Beyteng Lhakhang.

Gedhan Lhakhang was founded by Sey Wangchuk, son of Phajo Drukgom Zhigpo (1184-1251/1208-1275), to fulfill his father’s prophecy and was inspired by the guardian deity Tsheringma. The prophecy guided Wangchuk to build a temple at Bey-teng meadow for the benefit of Buddha’s teachings and the Drukpa Kagyu tradition. His descendants became the “Gedhan Lama” lineage, continuing today.

Local accounts describe how Wangchuk built the temple over a lake housing an evil lu (naga) that caused chicken pox outbreaks. When traditional treatments failed, an elderly woman discovered a statue of Chana Dorje left by a mysterious monk, after which the epidemic disappeared. This miraculous statue, now housed in a 5-6 inch copper amulet, remains the most sacred relic of Gedhan Lhakhang and is revered as the Yidam (tutelary deity) by surrounding communities.

Day One (29th Day of the First Lunar Month)

Gedhan Chodpa begins with pre-dawn appeasement rituals for male deities, led by Gonpo and local deities, breaking for tshog (feast offering) breakfast. People from surrounding villages gather in the temple courtyard dressed in their finest clothing for the sacred mask dances.

• Gedhan Gadpo Dance - signature sacred clown figure emerging from the temple window, announcing his arrival from heaven, wearing an elderly man’s mask with white hair and carrying a phallus and cymbals
• Shinje Yab-Yum - Dance of the Lord of Death and his Consort
• Black Hat Mask Dance - executed in Gedhan’s unique manner, differing from other festivals’ versions with distinctive steps and ritual significance
• Khandromai Cham - Five Goddess Mask Dance performed without animal mounts or retinue, making feast offerings during the dance
• Bre Cham - Dance of the Female Yak, an entertaining theatrical performance depicting the nomadic yak-herding lifestyle, composed by founder Sey Wangchuk

Day Two (30th Day of the First Lunar Month)

The second day features appeasement rituals for female deities led by Tshering Che-nga, followed by mask dances beginning with ground-breaking ceremonies. The second day concludes with Khandro Dhe-nga Cham. This main event draws the largest crowds as people from all around Bumthang gather to receive blessings for good health and bountiful harvests.

• Chung Zhi Cham - Four Garudas Dance - mythical bird-beings with human torsos and bird features perform to ward off naga-caused diseases like leprosy
• Throchu Cham - Ten Wrathful Deities Dance led by Chana Dorje, representing the ten wrathful protective aspects
• Tshering Che-nga Dance - the Five Sisters of Long Life: Trashi Tsheringma, Thingi Zhalzangma, Miyo Lozangma, Choepon Drinzangma, and Tekar Drozangma
• Khandro Dhe-nga Cham - Five Dakinis Dance featuring fully enlightened female beings representing cardinal directions and center: Dorje Khandro (East), Rinchen Khandro (South), Pema Khandro (West), Lekyi Khandro (North), and Sangay Khandro (Center)

Day Three (1st Day of the Second Lunar Month)

The final day features no mask dances but focuses on the crucial chala takpa divination ritual. Gadpo throws a silver offering bowl toward the lama’s seat after prayers - if it lands upright, it’s a good omen for the coming year; upside down indicates potential misfortune.

The festival concludes with a formal merit dedication from the three days of accumulated spiritual activities.

Domkhar Tshechu is held for three days between the 8th and 10th days of the third lunar month at Domkhar Community Lhakhang, organized by the Domkhar community. This festival attracts participants from the local community as well as visitors from neighboring areas.

Domkhar village is located between the Trongsa-Bumthang highway and the Domkhar Royal Palace of His Majesty the Second King Jigme Wangchuck, featuring a clustered community with traditional two or three-storey buildings. Before the 1960s, the village didn’t have a community lhakhang and conducted rituals at nearby Poma Ley temple in Raling, which became inaccessible during summer floods and was later abandoned. Following advice from Serkong Dorje Chang Rinpoche, 3 devotees - Samchu, Badum, and Baley - sponsored the construction of Domkhar Lhundrub Choeling on the site where the old Domkhar Dzong once stood, completing it in 1962.

Day One (8th Day): Tsukton

The first day begins at three in the morning with musicians playing jaling while folk dancers sing songs as zhengdha (waking signal) for all festival participants. The lama presides over ritual prayers of Lama Rigzin Duepa and oblation rituals dedicated to protectresses Lhamo Ngag Sungma (Ekajati) and Dudsolma (Dhumavati). The morning ritual continues with tshog (feast offering) ceremony until pausing at tshog lhagma for breakfast.

After breakfast, champas and zhemos receive a briefing from the lama on festival rules and proper conduct during the three-day celebration.

• Sachag Shinje Cham - Ground Sanctification Dance
• Ju Ging - Stick Dance
• Dri Ging - Sword Dance
• Zhana Phur Cham - Black Hat Dagger Dance
• Nga Ging - Drum Dance
• Shawa Gangley Phabpa - Chasing the stag down the mountain

Day Two (9th Day): Barton

The morning programme on Barton follows the identical pattern established on day one, maintaining the festival’s traditional structure and rhythm.

• Shazam Cham - Dance of the Four Stags
• Dramitse Ngacham - The Drum Dance of Dramitse
• Ging Tsholing - Traditional ging performance showcasing protective spirits
• Ngaging / Troging - Drum and cymbal dance variations creating powerful rhythmic patterns
• Shawa Thaley Tonpa - Driving the stag out of the jungle
• Pholey Moley - Dance of Noble Men and Charming Ladies

Day Three (10th Day): Droeton

The final day holds special significance as it coincides with Zhabdrung Kuchod, the national holiday commemorating the Death Anniversary of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, Bhutan’s spiritual and temporal unifier. This connection elevates the festival’s importance beyond the local community level to national spiritual significance.

The morning programme follows the established routine of previous days, but the atmosphere is particularly charged with anticipation as this marks both the festival’s climax and the honor of displaying the sacred thongdrol.

The festival’s most sacred moment features blessings through the temple’s precious relics. The ku (body) blessing is bestowed through the sacred mask of Shinje Choki Gyalpo, crafted by the 10th Lhalung Thukse Thekchog Tenpai Gyaltshen and considered among the most powerful spiritual objects at the temple. The sung (speech) blessing comes through sacred scriptures, while thug (mind) blessing is received through a blessed stupa. Participants also receive tshewang (longevity blessing) from the lama.

The festival concludes with the feast offering ritual, torshag, and Ngoedrub Langwang (receiving accomplishment blessings), where participants make dedications and auspicious prayers.

• Chungzam Cham - Bridge blessing dance symbolizing crossing from samsara to nirvana
• Peling Nga Cham - Drum dance from the Pema Lingpa tradition
• Zhana Nga Cham - Black hat drum dance
• Raksha Go Cham - Raksha solo performance
• Raksha Mang Cham - Raksha group dance

Held annually for three days between the 19th and 21st days of the fourth lunar month, Petsheling Kuchod is a sacred commemoration dedicated to Drubthob Namgyel Lhundrub, the revered founder of Petsheling Gonpa. This deeply spiritual festival serves as both a tribute to the monastery’s founding master and a powerful invocation of protective deities to maintain harmonious relationships between the spiritual and earthly realms.

Perched at an elevation of 3,250 meters (10,662 ft) on a forested mountain slope, Petsheling Gonpa commands breathtaking views over the Chamkhar Valley. According to oral traditions and textual accounts, the monastery’s name derives from the abundance of wildflowers and medicinal herbs that flourish in the area, particularly the locally cherished dongdola flower known for its prolific blooming.

The term “Petsheling” translates as “the Monastery of clustered dongdola,” reflecting the natural splendor that surrounds this sacred site. Local lore describes the monastery’s appearance as resembling a heap of precious jewels resting on the lap of Zambhala (Sanskrit: Kubera), the deity of wealth and prosperity.

Day One (19th Day of the Fourth Lunar Month)

The festival begins in the early morning hours with the haunting sound of clarinets awakening participants from their slumber. Monks commence the day with lhabsang purification rituals, followed by the main ritual prayers dedicated to the nineteen protective deities of Petsheling Gonpa, including the fierce protector Ngagsung Dorje Drakmo.

The morning’s ritual prayers pause at tshog lhagma for breakfast, making way for the day’s spectacular mask dance program. Following the morning meal, a grand chibdrel procession escorts the lama and monks from the lhakhang to the courtyard gallery, where they will preside over the sacred dance performances. While mask dancers prepare in the chamkhang, folk dancers entertain the gathered crowd with traditional performances.

The evening concludes with monks returning to the lhakhang to resume the tshog offering ritual, featuring the sacred Tshog Cham performance and ending with an abridged torshag ritual.

• Sachag Serkyem Cham - Ground Sanctification Dance
• Mecham or Gektre Cham - Dance to Expel Evil, performed by four dancers dressed like gingpa practitioners
• Shazam Cham - Dance of Four Stags
• Yoeluema or Zhauli Cham
• Ju Ging - Stick Dance
• Dri Ging - Sword Dance
• Sangye Lingpai Ngacham - Drum Dance of Terton Sangye Lingpa

Day Two (20th Day of the Fourth Lunar Month)

The second day mirrors the morning program of day one, with ritual prayers pausing at tshog lhagma for the day’s mask dance performances.

Following the mask dances, the feast offering ritual resumes in the temple, concluding the day’s program with an abridged torshag ritual.

• Thongdrol - Sacred Appliqué Display, with thangkas of eleven-headed Avalokitesvara, Buddha, and Guru Rinpoche believed to have been painted by King Trisong Deutsen
• Zhengzhi Pemi Cham
• Pacham - Dance of the Heroes
• Chungzam - Four Garudas Mask Dance
• Zhana Phur Cham - Black Hat Dagger Dance
• Durdhag - Dance of the Cremation Ground
• Dramitse Nga Cham - Drum Dance of Dramitse

Day Three (21st Day of the Fourth Lunar Month)

The final day maintains the same morning structure as previous days.

Beb Chadruk is a unique mask dance representing a profound yogic practice, with its name meaning “the dance that depicts controlled descent of the body’s subtle energies through internal channels.” Attributed to the 2nd Petsheling Trulku Jigme Tenpai Gyaltshen, 9 or 10 performers execute the dance wearing fierce masks and multi-colored tiered garments, relying entirely on specific hand gestures and jumping steps without any implements.

The ceremony commemorates Drubthob Namgyel Lhundrub’s subjugation of Golong Tsan, a harmful mountain deity near Zhongar Dzong. The sacred ritual daggers (phurpas) created under the Drubthob’s supervision are displayed publicly in a ceremonial box, with devotees passing beneath to receive powerful blessings.

After the Phurpai Sangwang ceremony, the lama and monks resume the feast offering ritual in the lhakhang, followed by torshag. The festival concludes with ngoedrub langwang and Trashi Monlam prayers, during which the lama, monks, and all participants join in collective dedications and auspicious prayers for the welfare of all beings.

• Gektre Cham
• Nga Ging - Drum Dance
• Beb Chadruk - the dance of controlled descent of subtle energies

Lhodrak Kharchu Dudjom Nampar Gawailing was founded in 1982 as the seat of the 7th Namkhai Nyingpo Jigme Pema Thinley Namgyal (b. 1966). Among the many religious ceremonies and events held at this sacred monastery, Treldha Tshechu stands as one of the most renowned and spiritually significant festivals. This extraordinary celebration takes place annually from the 8th through 10th days of the fifth lunar month in varying iterations - a condensed version most years, a more elaborate standard version every third year, and an extensive, comprehensive version every twelve years during the Monkey Year.

The festival serves as a powerful commemoration of the monastery’s sacred lineage while invoking protective deities and bestowing blessings upon all participants.

Lhodrak Kharchu, located in southern Tibet, holds the distinction of being blessed by Guru Rinpoche himself in the 8th century. It’s believed that Guru Rinpoche and his spiritual consort, Yeshe Tshogyal, resided here for seven years while undertaking profound tantric practices. Following Guru Rinpoche’s transformative activities, Nub Ben Gelong Namkhai Nyingpo, one of the master’s twenty-five primary disciples, established his seat at this blessed location.

In 1679, the Fifth Dalai Lama expanded the Kharchu retreat center to serve as the main seat of the Jangpa lineage of the Nyingma tradition, bestowing upon it the name Gaden Dudjomling.

Day One (12th Day of the Fifth Lunar Month)

The festival commences with a series of sacred mask dances.

Sadul Cham represents Dorje Zhonnu emanating his messenger in the form of Sha-yak (stag and yak) from his heart to tame antagonistic forces and establish peace. The performance signifies the destruction of hostile elements and the transformation of the ground into a greatly auspicious and immutable vajra foundation.

• Sadul Cham - Dance of Suppressing the Ground
• Dhar Cham - Flag Dance
• Zhiwai Cham - Dance of Peace
• Dri Cham - Sword Dance
• Zhana Cham - Black Hat Dance
• Durdhag Cham - Dance of the Charnel Grounds
• Shawai Cham - Stag Dance
• Trashi Monlam gyi Cham - Dance of Auspicious Prayers

Day Two (13th Day of the Fifth Lunar Month)

The second day features an elaborate program of mask dances.

Gomazhi Garcham - the four directional protectors dance with various implements representing the Four Immeasurables: iron hooks for generosity, ropes for compassion, fetters for joy, and bells for equanimity.

Kharchu Shawa Karpoi Garcham originated from a vision experienced by the first Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche, who saw the deities of the Dorje Zhonnu mandala manifest as a single white stag deity that danced around the monastery’s upper sections.

• Sadul Cham - Dance of Suppressing the Ground
• Tum-ngam Cham - Dance of Pema Thoetreng Tsal
• Durdhag Cham - Dance of the Charnel Grounds in the monastic style
• Zhana Garcham - Black Hat Dance
• Gomazhi Garcham - Dance of the Protectors of the Four Doors
• Lha-ay Garcham - Dance of Separating Protective Worldly Gods from Obstacles, performed by dancers appearing as owls
• Rigdue Garcham - Abridged Dance of Vajra Kilaya
• Kharchu Shawa Karpoi Garcham - Dance of the White Stag of Lhodrak
• Kharchu Sungmai Garcham - Dance of Protective Deities of Kharchu

Day Three (14th Day of the Fifth Lunar Month)

The third day presents these sacred performances.

• Tshamchoekyi Garcham - Dance of Boundary Delineation
• Jangchub Ling gi Durdhag Cham - Dance of the Charnel Grounds in the Jangchubling tradition
• Thrakthung Yaksha Mewel Tshoglengyi Garcham - Dance of Receiving the Merits of the Feast Offering
• Thrabjug Sa Ging Nam Ging Garcham - Great Wrathful Dance of the Dakas of the Earth and the Sky

Last Day (15th Day of the Fifth Lunar Month)

The festival reaches its climax with the public display of the sacred Guru Tshengyed thongdrol in the early morning hours. Meanwhile, ritual prayers are presided over by Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche, who bestows a longevity empowerment upon all gathered devotees, offering them profound blessings for long life and spiritual well-being.

Azhey Lhamo is a female-dominated ritual event practiced in the Ura and Shingkhar communities, held annually on the 8th and 9th days of the seventh lunar month. Associated with the Bonkar tradition via the Ura Dung family, the event is dedicated to propitiating female mountain deities through song and dance performance. Females are the main performers, while males are observers.

When Bumthang had no ruler, people prayed for leadership. A divine boy was born to a Ura woman, Sonam Peldron, and became the first Je Poen (Chieftain). Through generations, the lineage continued until Dung Lhawang Drakpa died young, prophesying his rebirth in Tibet. Five men found his reincarnation among playing boys using monkey apples as a test. During the later ruler Dung Lhawang Rabgye’s time, a children’s diarrhea epidemic struck. The divine-blooded ruler propitiated female Bon deities, composed Ura dialect lyrics, and instituted a female dance at Purshe La that cured the epidemic, establishing the continuing Azhey Lhamo tradition.

The term Azhey Lhamo addresses the chief of deities or the eldest sister among the five goddesses who helped eradicate the children’s plague. Since the ritual dance is performed by female members who are mostly elder sisters caring for younger children, it carries this maternal protective significance.

Korgang is the ritual site at Purshe La summit where the Azhey Lhamo dance occurs. Originally marked by a stone heap with prayer flags representing the local deity’s dwelling, it now sits below a community-built stupa. On Azhey Lhamo day, a female mule’s footprint appears in Korgang’s center, revered as a dakini’s footprint or Azhey Lhamo’s mount.

Day One (8th Day of the Seventh Lunar Month)

On the 8th day, performers, including Phodmakhan, begin their early morning journey to Purshe La, led by Tsepon. The tshog items are packed in rung (bamboo baskets), and all participants must be free from drib (ritual pollution). If everyone is ritually pure, pleasant weather enables the smooth execution of offerings and performance.

The group leaves the host’s house with one member carrying a drum, following the old trail southward via Mongar Highway. After arriving at Khandropang (4 kilometers from Ura), performers make sang offerings and wash their heads, feet, and hands. From there, performers start singing teymo la and the Azhey Lhamo song, accompanied by drumbeats, collecting incense herbs along the way.

Upon arriving at Korgang, the Phodmakhans array offerings on the table while smoke offerings are made. Women and girls perform the Azhey Lhamo dance around the temporary shrine - two circles if many performers, one circle if few. In pleasant weather, they perform three times while enjoying panoramic mountain views; in bad weather, only once before departing.

After lunch, they leave tshog offerings at Korgang and return singing. Following tradition, they collect marzang meto (Boschniakia himalaica) wrapped upside-down in a bodo (traditional female scarf), believing the deity rests upon these flowers and is invited to the community temple.

At Tokphai, they change into formal dress and traditional ornaments, often joined by senior women who couldn’t make the mountain journey. Forming a single line, they sing while proceeding to the temple, circumambulating the lhakhang three times before entering.

• Azhey Lhamo Temple Performance - the signature ritual dance performed by women and girls around the temporary shrine at Korgang. The dance requires at least 15 performers, ranging from girls aged 10 to elderly women, with 3 or 4 teenage virgin girls called Phodmakhan responsible for making offerings at the mountain shrine

Day Two (9th Day of the Seventh Lunar Month)

On the 9th day, performers journey to Chudpay to perform Azhey Lhamo dedicated to the local deity of Rotpay La. Previously, they traveled directly to Rotpay La, but this practice ceased over four decades ago due to the tiresome journey. Through mutual consensus, they now make offerings at Chudpay, which lies on the way to Rotpay La.

Day Three (10th Day of the Seventh Lunar Month)

The final day corresponds to Guru Rinpoche’s birthday and is dedicated to karmey (butter lamp offerings) - a Buddhist element incorporated into Azhey Lhamo. Women, men, and youth participate, with even neighboring communities of Gedhan, Pangkhar, and Sumthrang joining the butter lamp celebrations.

People of Ura and Shingkhar sing karmey offering songs, shomo aley lo, and omla sa mani instead of Azhey Lhamo songs. Community groups visit local temples and monasteries carrying butter, incense, and tshog offerings. After temple visits, the community congregates at the host’s house for tea, wine, snacks, and all-night singing and dancing.

Yak Lhai is a Bonkar (White Bon, non-sacrificial) ritual held annually between the 15th and 30th days of the seventh lunar month to invoke yak and livestock deities and propitiate highland protective deities. The festival combines Bon and Buddhist traditions, presided over by a shaman called Lhapon. The name means ‘yak deity’ and specifically invokes Lha Wodue Gongjan, considered one of the principal Bon deities who grants worldly blessings.

Day One: Preliminary Events

The day begins with Lha Zhusang (Receiving the Deity) in late afternoon before sunset, when the deity is believed to descend on sun rays. The Lhapon wears a clean gho, a red scarf, and khadar crown while carrying a ritual drum and drumstick, accompanied by the Norpon in a white scarf. They proceed to the lhabrang, prostrate three times, and the Norpon invokes Lha Wodue Gongjan in the local dialect. After receiving the lhadhar (ritual object), they yell ‘tey hu hu’ three times to signal the deity’s arrival.

The procession moves to the lhakhang with the Lhapon drumming and Norpon collecting wild flowers (Yak Lhai Meto) representing the deity’s riding pony. At the lhakhang, Nangi Ama (single female household head) receives them with tea or ara through ritualized conversation before inviting them inside.

The main ritual involves the Lhapon reading the Yak Lhai text while beating a drum tied to a post. The text includes multiple sections: sangrab (history of smoke offering), churab (origin of water), meyrab (origin of fire), chagrab (iron lineage), and sangso (smoke offering to cleanse defilements). The ritual continues with zhengrab (awakening), including deity invitation and tshog offerings, followed by dhenrab (account of deities’ dwelling places) and dedication prayers.

Day Two: Tenzug Offering

After breakfast, the family takes selected livestock to the Lhabrang for Tenzug offering. Led by the drumming Lhapon carrying ritual items, they circumambulate the lhashing three times and arrange offerings. The Lhapon recites sangrab to propitiate Dralha Pangtoe (local warrior deity) for about one hour while the herd circumambulates and is tied near the Lhabrang.

Animal Blessing Ceremony - The host presents a male yak flanked by female yaks to be offered to Lha Wodue Gongjan and protective deities, including Palden Lhamo, Gonpo, Namsey, Trashi Tsheringma, Dralha, and Pholha. Animals are decorated with colorful pamzar on necks, shoulders, and tails, with tshog placed on horns and heads. The Lhapon sprinkles pheymar and sangchu (blessed water) over the animals to cleanse and sanctify them. If animals shiver when sprinkled, it indicates divine acceptance and promises good health for livestock and agricultural products.

The ritual concludes with circumambulation and dedication prayers. Animals are fed with oil, buttermilk, and tshog before being freed for grazing. Participants share blessed tshog, followed by all-night singing and dancing.

Day Three: Choesung Ritual

The final day features choesung, a thanksgiving ritual to protective guardian deities including both enlightened deities (Yeshe kyi lha) and local deities (Neydag Zhidag). The Lhapon becomes Lopon and is accompanied by other ritual performers since this is a Buddhist ritual, possibly reflecting Bon-Buddhist syncretism.

Lopon performs lhabsang (cleansing ritual) at 6:00 a.m. in the same location, purifying people, livestock, and surroundings inside and outside the hut. The evening concludes with yangkhuk (yang-guk), a ritual invoking wealth god Namsey and goddess Tsheringma, followed by dedication prayers, dinner, and community merrymaking with singing and dancing.

The Tamzhing Phagla Chodpa Festival, meaning “offering to the boar-god,” represents one of Bumthang’s most distinctive religious celebrations, founded by the renowned Terton Rigzin Pema Lingpa during the temple’s consecration ceremony in 1505. This four-day festival, held from the 10th to 13th days of the eighth Bhutanese lunar month, centers around the sacred Phag Cham (Boar Dance) and the unique Ugay Wang blessing ceremony. The festival’s origins trace to Pema Lingpa’s visionary dream, where Yidam Dorji Phagmo (Vajravarahi), the boar-headed deity, performed a sacred dance and instructed him to learn and perform it during the temple’s consecration ceremony.

When Pema Lingpa was searching the Choekhor valley for a suitable temple site, he witnessed a wild boar digging in the soil - a divine sign from Dorje Phagmo (Vajravarahi) indicating the appropriate location. Construction began in 1501 with support from the local ruler Choekhor Ponpo Kunthub, and the temple was completed within five years, culminating in a grand consecration ceremony in 1505.

Day One (9th Day): Chamjug and Mewang

The festival begins with mask dance performers gathering at the temple courtyard with their belongings, maintaining ritual purity by sleeping away from their families in designated temple areas. Patselpas dress as warriors and perform beshed before serving as assistants to mask dancers throughout the festival.

The afternoon features chamjug (rehearsal) with only the most important mask dances practiced publicly.

The day culminates with the sacred Mewang (Fire Blessing) ceremony, where a gate is constructed from fresh pine limbs and juniper branches with dried wood piled on both sides. After preliminary rituals, the fire is lit, and devotees rush through the burning gate at least three times to negate negative karma.

• Peling Nga Cham
• Phag Cham
• Shazam

Day Two (10th Day): Tsukton

The formal festival program begins with an elaborate sequence of mask dances.

Phag Cham - the festival’s namesake dance - is performed by the chamjug wearing Pema Lingpa’s original sacred boar mask, executing seven to eight distinctive steps while holding willow branches.

• Gadpoi Gor Cham - solitary dancer in aged mask representing the local deity
• Lang Cham - two monks in ox masks perform this pacifying dance from Lhalung monastery
• Phag Cham - the festival’s namesake dance
• Ju Ging Cham - Stick Dance
• Dri Ging Cham - Sword Dance
• Peling Nga Cham - Drum Dance
• Guru Tshengye Cham - Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche
• Zhana Nga Cham - Black Hat Drum Dance

Day Three (11th Day): Barton

Tshangpai Ging Cham - the most sacred dance attributed to Pema Lingpa - is performed by twelve laymen wearing calm-faced masks with white scarves, carrying small damaru and bells through approximately ten different steps.

• Gadpoi Gor Cham - Opening sanctification dance
• Shazam Cham - Dance of Four Stags
• Yoeluema (Zhauli) - Solo dancer in a skull mask
• Ju Ging Cham - Stick Dance
• Dri Ging Cham - Sword Dance
• Peling Nga Cham - Drum Dance
• Zhana Phur Cham - Vajrakila Black Hat Dance
• Durdhag Cham - Dance of the Lords of the Cremation Grounds
• Shinje Cham - Dance of Yama
• Tshangpai Ging Cham - the most sacred dance attributed to Pema Lingpa

Day Four (12th Day): Droeton

Tangra Serkyem features monks in black hats performing this sacred dance, offering wine to deities multiple times as gratitude for protection, welcomed with chibdrel procession.

• Gadpo Gorcham - Opening sanctification
• Throzam Cham
• Shinje Cham - Dance of Yama
• Durdhag - Dance of the Lords of the Cremation Grounds
• Tangra Serkyem - Monks in black hats offering wine to deities
• Sangye Lingpai Nga Cham - drum dance composed by treasure revealer Sangye Lingpa
• Chendren Ngama - preparatory ‘Reception Dance’
• Nodjin Tseumar - Procession and blessings from the guardian deity
• Tenwang - Procession featuring Buddha Amitayus image crafted by Pema Lingpa
• Pholey Moley - Dance of Handsome Men and Charming Ladies

Day Five (13th Day): Thruesol

The festival concludes with informal gatherings, lhabsang purification rituals, and cleanup activities, marking the end of this sacred celebration dedicated to Dorje Phagmo.

Rooted in ancient Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Thangbi Mewang represents one of Bhutan’s most distinctive fire blessing ceremonies, where sacred flames are believed to ward off diseases and negative forces. This powerful ritual forms the opening day of the four-day Thangbi Mani festival, named after the temple’s original consecration ceremony that prominently featured the recitation of the mani mantra. While the festival’s exact origins remain shrouded in mystery, some attribute its establishment to the 4th Zhamar Choedrak Yeshe; others trace it to the 8th Zhamarpa Pelchen Choekyi Dondrub.

The festival centers on Thangbi Lhundrub Choedhey Lhakhang, located 12km north of Chamkhar town at an elevation of 8,817 feet among the villages of Goleng, Kharsath, and Thangbi proper. The temple’s origins date to 1480, when the 7th Karmapa Choedrak Gyatso and 4th Zhamarpa Choedrak Yeshe sanctified land belonging to the influential Gonleng Garpa family.

Day One (14th Day of the Eighth Lunar Month): Jinsek and Gektre

The festival opens before dawn with ceremonial songs and bell playing, followed by the erection of Yeshe Gonpo’s gondhar in the courtyard to sanctify the site. After morning prayers and offerings dedicated to Gonpo Bernag, the day culminates with evening mask dances and fire rituals.

Gonpo Bercham commemorates Mahakala’s dramatic rescue of the Karmapa from Chinese captivity. Legend tells how Gonpo Bernag appeared before the Chinese emperor in haste, with one trouser leg folded to the knee and the other at normal length, threatening to destroy the palace unless the Karmapa was freed.

• Drelcham - Dance of Suppression
• Yoeluema or Zhauli - Dance of Malevolent Spirits
• Gonpo Bercham - Dance of Protective Deity Gonpo Bernag
• Jinsek (Fire Offering) and Gektre (Ritual to Expelling Evil)
• Shazam Dance - Dance of the Stag

Day Two (15th Day of the Eighth Lunar Month): Mewang, the Fire Blessing

The highlight day begins with ceremonial songs and morning prayers before the sacred fire blessing ceremony takes center stage.

Mewang (Fire Blessing) - the festival’s sacred dance involves spectators rushing through blazing hay arches three times for protective blessings equivalent to wearing sacred thread. Village elders believe witnessing this ceremony ensures a favorable judgment in the afterlife when meeting Shinje Choekyi Gyalpo, the Judge of Death.

• Mewang - Fire Blessing
• Zhana Cham - Black Hat Dance
• Tshog Cham - Feast Offering Dance
• Yoeluema
• Gonpo Bercham
• Nga Cham - Drum Dance
• Pholey Moley - Dance of the Noblemen and Ladies
• Atsara Dance - the ritual clowns create phallus-shaped offerings for fertility blessings
• Shawa gang ley Phabpa - Dance of the Stag and Hounds (the episode of chasing the stag down the mountain)

Day Three (16th Day of the Eighth Lunar Month): Tenwang

Following morning prayers and a longevity ritual in Jowo Lhakhang, the day focuses on the blessing of a sacred objects display.

Khandromai Cham - 8 dancers perform this sacred Kamtshang Kagyu tradition as the final dance. The lead dancer carries cymbals, another holds a hand drum and bell, while six others carry only hand drums. Devotees offer performers money and khadars, believing adequate thanks ensures positive effects for all involved.

• Shazam - Dance of the Stags
• Dri Cham - Sword Dance
• Shawa Shakhyi - Dance of the Stag and Hounds (the episode of driving the stag out of the low-lying jungle)
• Jachung Jichung Gi Cham
• Atsara’s Choga - Ritual performance by Atsaras
• Tenwang - Blessing of sacred objects
• Khandromai Cham - Dance of dakinis

Day Four (17th Day of the Eighth Lunar Month): Thruesol and Landab

The festival concludes with cleansing rituals performed throughout Thangbi village, led by a procession of musicians, singers, and dancers. After escorting the lama to his residence at Shugdrak Gonpa, the community returns for the appointment of a new kudrung, followed by celebratory dances, singing, and drinking until the formal conclusion with a communal luncheon.

The Jakar Tshechu Festival represents a unique blend of ancient spiritual significance and modern community initiative, held annually over four days from the 8th to 11th of the ninth lunar month at Jakar Dzong, by the Jakar Dratshang and Bumthang Dzongkhag Administration. Unlike many traditional tshechu festivals, this celebration is a relatively recent establishment, created in 1994 through the vision of Dzongdag Dasho Pema Dorje and Thrimpon Dasho Sangay Rinzin to serve the people of Bumthang Dzongkhag, later expanded to its current four-day format under Dzongdag Nyima Tshering.

The festival’s location at Jakar Dzong carries profound historical meaning rooted in 16th-century spiritual guidance. When Yongdzin Ngagi Wangchuk, son of the 13th abbot of Druk Ralung, arrived in the region around 1517, he moved between several locations before witnessing a white bird fly from his temporary settlement and land precisely where Jakar Dzong now stands. Interpreting this as a divine sign and recognizing the bird as a manifestation of the protective deity Legon Jarok Dongchen (Raven-Headed Mahakala), he established his Drubkhang at this auspicious site and named it Jakar, meaning “White Bird.”

Day One (8th Day)

The festival opens with monks performing the Lama Gongdue ritual from 1:30 a.m., pausing for breakfast before official proceedings begin around 8:30 a.m. with a ceremonial procession of the lam and dzongkhag officials to the spectators’ pavilion.

• Shinje Yab-yum Cham - Yamantaka Father and Mother Dance
• Yoeluema Cham - Dance of the Malevolent Spirit
• Peling Ging Sum (Dance of the Three Gings) - Ju Ging Cham (Stick), Dri Ging Cham (Sword), and Nga Ging Cham (Drum)
• Kel Cham - Farewell Dance
• Pholey Moley Cham - Dance of the Noblemen and Ladies
• Shawo Gangley Phap - The Dance of the Stag and Hounds (the first episode)

Day Two (9th Day)

Following the same morning ritual structure, the second day’s performances continue the sacred narrative with powerful protective dances.

• Zhana Cham - Black Hat Dance
• Zhana Nga Cham - Black Hat Drum Dance
• Dramitse Nga Cham - Dance of the Drums from Dramitse
• Durdag Cham - Dance of the Lords of Cremation Grounds
• Ging Tsholing Cham - Dance of the wrathful deities
• Shawa Shakhyi Thaley Tonpa - The Dance of the Stag and Hounds (the second episode)

Day Three (10th Day)

The third day centers on themes of judgment and karma, depicting the afterlife and offering blessings from the Lord of Death through transformative ritual performances.

• Durdhag Cham - Dance of the Lords of Cremation Grounds
• Tung Ngam Cham - Dance of the Terrifying Deities
• Shazam Cham - Dance of the Four Stags
• Raksha Go Cham - Ox-headed Dance
• Raksha Mang Cham - Dance of the Judgement of the Dead

Day Four (11th Day) - Thongdrol and Tenwang

The festival culminates with the sacred thongdrol unfurling at 3 a.m., displaying a precious statue of Yidam Thongwa Kundrol that Terton Pema Lingpa withdrew from Mebartsho (Burning Lake), alongside a thongdrol depicting Guru Tshengyed created in 2005.

The festival concludes with torshag ritual, ngoedrub langwang, and trashi monlam prayers, where all participants gather for collective dedications and auspicious prayers, marking the sacred completion of this remarkable four-day spiritual journey.

• Unfurling of Guru Tshengyed Thongdrol
• Zhengzhi Pemi Cham - Dance offering with recitation of prayers to Guru Rinpoche
• Bekor Cham - Ceremonial Dance of the Monks
• Pa Cham - Dance of Heroes
• Guru Tshengye Cham - Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche
• Rigma Chudrug - Dance of the Sixteen Wisdom Consorts
• Acho dang Phento - The story of the conversion of the hunter
• Atsara gi Lochoe (Atsara’s ritual) to mark the conclusion of tshechu

The five-day Trakhar Kuchod takes place annually from the 15th to 19th days of the ninth lunar month, jointly organized by Trakhar and Nangar villages at Trakhar Lhundrub Deyang Lhakhang. This commemorative festival honors Thukse Dawa Gyaltshen (1499-1587), who established the temple and served as spiritual guide to both communities. The celebration represents the enduring devotion these villages maintain toward their beloved teacher, marking his death anniversary with profound reverence.

Trakhar village sits on a scenic ridge thirty minutes by car from Chamkhar town. Local legend tells that the temple received supernatural assistance during construction - spirits appearing as monkeys worked at night while humans labored by day, giving the temple its name “Trakhar” (monkey mansion). The term “Kuchod” means “religious prayer ceremony observing the death anniversary of religious personalities.”

Day One (15th Day): Ritual Prayers

Early morning lhabsang (cleansing ritual) is conducted in both Shag Lhakhang and Utse Lhakhang, presided over by monks from Nyimalung Dratshang. The day is dedicated to ritual prayers with an elaborate tshokhor ritual dedicated to Lama Norbu Jamtsho in Shag Lhakhang and Tshethri Dorje Threngwa in Utse Lhakhang. In the evening, Thukse Dawa’s Kudung is led in a ceremonial procession from Utse Lhakhang to the ground-floor shrine of Shag Lhakhang.

Day Two (16th Day): Chamjug (Mask Dance Rehearsal)

Morning lhabsang is followed by tshokhor ritual dedicated to Kunzang Zhitro (peaceful and wrathful deities). After breakfast, Thukse Dawa’s Kudung is ushered to Karsel Lhakhang and placed on the highest shelf overlooking the dance ground. About 20 monks conduct a dance rehearsal without full costumes, though they may hold hand implements like nga (small hand drum) and swords.

Day Three (17th Day): Presentation of Mask Dances

Morning lhabsang is followed by tshokhor dedicated to Thinley Nyingpo. The Kudung is led in a brief ceremonial procession and installed in Karsel Lhakhang with the umze and other presiding monks sitting below.

• Shinje Yab-Yum - Dance of the Bull-faced Male and Female
• Zhana Nga Cham - Drum Dance of Black Hats
• Durdhag - Dance of the Lords of the Cremation Ground
• Peling Ging Sum - Pema Lingpa’s Three Wrathful Emanations
• Tung-ngam Cham - Dance of the Wrathful Deities

Day Four (18th Day): Final Mask Dance Presentations

The 18th day concludes mask dance performances.

Drung Cham - in this unique dance, 10 Zhana dancers form an outer circle representing male deities, while 8 Nga Ging dancers constitute the inner ring symbolizing female deities. In the innermost circle are 2 Tre Ging wearing white and black masks, representing Kunzang Yab-yum (Samantabhadra and his consort).

After masked dances conclude in late afternoon, the much-anticipated Tenwang is received from the Kudung and terma relics of Thukse Dawa. This blessing, called Thukse Dawai Wang (Blessings of Thukse Dawa), is believed to protect from evil, clear negative karma, and increase longevity when received with a pure mind and intention.

• Shazam Cham - Stag Dance
• Thro Cham - Dance of the Wrathful Ones
• Zhana Nga Cham - Drum Dance of Black Hats
• Drung Cham - elaborate circle dance with Zhana, Nga Ging, and Tre Ging dancers
• Ging Tsholing Cham - Wrathful War Dance
• Dramitse Nga Cham - Drum Dance of Dramitse
• Tenwang - Blessing from the relics

Day Five (19th Day): Trashi Monlam

Morning lhabsang is followed by monks presiding over Ngoedrub Langwang (receiving blessings) and Trashi Monlam (auspicious prayers) ceremonies, where tsawas and participants pray in both lhakhangs for successful Kuchod organization and collective wellbeing for the coming year.

After prayer ceremonies, men and women enjoy singing, dancing, and feasting in the gathering known as Ging Tsholing Zachum, meaning feast of Ging and Tsholing mask dancers, where all dancers come together to relish the feast.

Unlike other rabneys or Tshechus with fixed calendar dates, the Ngang Rabney follows ancient astrological traditions, typically falling between the 15th to 17th days of the tenth lunar month when the full moon appears in conjunction with the Pleiades constellation. This unique festival originated from the consecration ceremony of Ngang Lhakhang, presided over by Lama Namkha Samdrub, who performed sacred masked dances to sanctify the temple space and bestow blessings upon attendees.

The festival centers on Ngang Lhakhang in Choekhor Toe, founded by Lama Namkha Samdrub, who witnessed an auspicious flock of swans (ngangpa) circling overhead before landing on a nearby ridge. This divine sign convinced him to build his temple there, naming it Ngang Lhakhang or “Swan Temple,” which now sits surrounded by the village of Ngang near the ruins of the ancient Draphey Dzong.

Day One (15th Day): Tsukton

The festival formally begins at 9 a.m. when sacred relics, prominently featuring the main nine-inch statue of Tshampa Lama Namkha Samdrub encased in steel and glass, are ceremoniously brought from Ngang Lhakhang’s main shrine to the gallery.

The distinctive Zhey performances are conducted by patselpas (attendants or guards of Tshampai Lama) and represent a unique form distinct from zhey performed elsewhere in Bhutan. Known as the Ngangpai Zhey, this sacred tradition incorporates 9 different types of chants and is considered essential - without its performance, Ngang Rabney would be deemed incomplete.

• Zhey - Tam gi bey or Tam-nyen gi bey
• Shinje Yab-yum - Dance of Yama Father-Mother
• Zhey - Je Namo Guru
• Zhana Phur Cham
• Zhey - Om Lhasa Mani

Day Two (16th Day): Droeton

Following the traditional morning Gongdue Tshechu prayers performed by lamas and monks from Jakar Rabdey, the day begins with the same ceremonial chibdrel procession and relic presentation as the previous day.

• Gyupai Bey (lineage bey) performed by Beyog
• Tea and wine service to patselpas by Choeje and Changma families
• Shinje Yab-Yum Dance
• Zhey - Gyalpo Songtsen Gampo
• Yoeluema dance
• Dri Ging dance
• Zhey - Jewai Lamdrang
• Gadpo (old man), Gadmo (old woman), Bosa (son), and Pholey Moley (noble man and lady), theatrical enactment

Day Three (17th Day): Landab

The final day, known as Landab, meaning “informal day,” follows no fixed program but centers on essential purification and community rituals. Patselpas and female folk dancers gather at Samthang Dung’s courtyard around 7-8 a.m., contributing rations for communal lunch preparation before proceeding to Ngang Lhakhang for the day’s sacred observances.

All festival participants - choeje, champas, tsawas, patselpas, and zhemos - attend the lhabsang (purification ritual) and jabchog (supplementary ritual dedicated to deities), making collective prayers together. Following the communal lunch, the torshag ceremony is conducted with all participants gathering once more to offer Trashi Monlam prayers.

Hosted from the 9th to 11th days of the tenth lunar month, the Namkha Rabney Festival traces its origins to the 15th century when Lam Namkha Samdrub founded Namkha Lhakhang and conducted the original consecration ceremony, or rabney, for his temple. This sacred tradition has been re-enacted annually at the site for over 500 years, organized by the three villages closest to the temple - Ghamling, Khangrab, and Chutoe - who serve as the traditional Rabney tsawa (hosts).

Namkha Lhakhang was founded by the revered Lam Namkha Samdrub (1398-1459), who also established Ngang Lhakhang in Choekhortoe. According to oral tradition, Lam Namkha Samdrub was guided by divine visions of Yeshe Gonpo (Mahakala) and Palden Lhamo (Mahakali), powerful protective deities who urged him to spread and strengthen Buddhist teachings throughout the region.

The deities instructed him to seek his spiritual destiny in the valley east of Choekhor, specifically in the Tang valley. Namkha Samdrub departed Choekhortoe, declaring that wherever he found himself at daybreak would become the prophesied site for his temple. During his nighttime journey, he heard the braying of a donkey, prompting his attendant to exclaim “nam khar” - meaning ‘daybreak’ in the local Bumthang dialect. Recognizing this as the divine sign, Namkha Samdrub established his temple at this location, naming it Namkhar Lhakhang, or Daybreak Temple.

Day One (9th Day of the Tenth Lunar Month): Tsukton

The festival begins with tsukton, meaning ‘inaugural programme,’ serving as the preparatory phase of Rabney.

Evening ritual prayers begin before nightfall inside Namkha Lhakhang, presided over by Thodrak Lama. These thanksgiving rites honor Palden Lhamo, Yeshe Gonpo, and Terdag Rinchen Gonyak, seeking protection from epidemics and disasters, timely rainfall, abundant harvests, and continued blessings.

• Lhamo-Gonpo Dance - sacred dance honoring the protective deities Palden Lhamo and Yeshe Gonpo
• Terdag Rinchen Gonyak Dance - performance dedicated to the protective deity Terdag Rinchen Gonyak

Day Two (10th Day of the Tenth Lunar Month): Barton

The main festival day, known as barton, begins at 6 a.m., when patselpas journey to Ugyen Choeling to formally invite the Dasho or Ashi as honored guests through elaborate protocol. The day features the most elaborate celebrations, with ceremonial welcomes at the temple courtyard accompanied by trumpet fanfare, and the collection of honored guests, including Dasho, Khangrab Ponpo, and Tang Gup.

The auspicious table-kicking ceremony performed by the Lhamo dancer and horn-pushing by the yak dancer divines the coming year’s fortune, followed by public participation in folk dances during the festival’s most important day.

• Lhamo-Gonpo Dance - repeated performance of the sacred dance for the protective deities
• Terdag Rinchen Gonyak Dance - ceremonial dance honoring the protective deity
• Entertainment by atsaras (jesters) wearing masks of Aila (elderly woman), Meme (elderly man), and Bu (son)

Day Three (11th Day of the Tenth Lunar Month): Droeton

The final day, called droeton or landab, focuses on purification and sacred conclusion, beginning at 7 a.m. with a community gathering and serving of zheythug (traditional soup), followed by the collection of fines from the previous day’s infractions.

The Lhamo Tshogya ritual begins at 8 a.m. in the temple with required nyendhar offerings by Tsawa Aums to shrine deities. At 4 p.m., a procession moves from ground to temple with traditional songs, followed by zhabten (longevity prayers) and offerings to Lhamo, Gonpo, and Gonyak.

• Tshog Cham - newly introduced feast offering dance performed by a single mask dancer

Hosted by the Sumthrang Choeje family at Sumthrang Samdrub Choedzong, the Sumthrang Kangsol ritual begins on the 25th day of the ninth lunar month and lasts for five days. This ancient religious ritual is dedicated to propitiating and pleasing deities and protectors of the Dorje Phurpa (Vajrakilaya) mandala, while mending faults and transgressions. Located at 3,100 meters above sea level, Sumthrang village sits on a gentle slope above Pangkhar village, approximately 5 kilometers from Ura village and 55 kilometers from Jakar Dzong in Bumthang.

Kangsol literally means ‘gratification and supplication ritual and practice.’ In the Sumthrang Kangsol, the Sumthrang lineage and local community offer gratitude to the Phurpa deities for their protective actions, safeguarding society, making offerings for their continued protection of Buddhism, the Sumthrang lineage, and the community. This ritual is among the oldest Buddhist practices in Bhutan, first initiated by Nyoeton Thrulzhik Choeje to keep local deities bound and seek support from meditative deities.

Day One (25th Day of the Ninth Lunar Month): Tagon

The first day, tagon, focuses on preliminary rituals and purification. The day begins with gektre, an exorcism ritual performed to clear evil spirits and obstacles for Dharma activities. Inside the temple, this involves a purificatory dance performed by two dancers wearing male and female ging masks. The ritual then expands throughout Sumthrang village as a procession of lamas, ging mask dancers, and community members visits every household, performing the same purificatory ritual and dance in each home.

• Ging Dance - male and female ging mask dancers perform purificatory dances inside the temple and at each household, carrying ritual fires to expel negative spirits

Day Two (26th Day of the Ninth Lunar Month): Tsencham

The second day is dedicated to ceremonies to the Mountain Deity of Sumthrang. Dorje Phurpa ritual performances begin around two o’clock in the morning, with the mask dance programme commencing at sunrise.

Tsencham features five masked dancers, each riding wooden ‘horses’ worn around their waists, with individual porters bringing the total performers to nine. One dancer portrays Draktsen Dorje Dradul while four constitute his retinue, considered the Four Great Kings guarding cardinal directions with Sumthrang at the center.

• Sipa Phomo, Sumthrang Gadpo Gadmo - performed inside the lhakhang
• Shinje Sachag Phomo Cham - temple performance honoring the deity of death and wrathful female protectors
• Tsan Cham - sacred dance dedicated to the tsan deities
• Tsencham (Dance of Tsen’s Retinue) - five masked dancers riding wooden horses

Day Three (27th Day of the Ninth Lunar Month): Draklay

The third day, called Draklay (‘fierce activities’) or Dablay (‘suppression actions’), repeats temple performances from the previous day while adding public courtyard performances. The day centers on summoning and destroying evil forces through Dorje Phurpa rituals, liberating their spirits with the sacred phurba dagger.

The day features the Phuedchang Gutsi (Alcohol Libation Ceremony) using alcohol carefully distilled from nine different cereals.

• Sachag Chungzam Cham - Dance of Garudas performed to sanctify the performance ground
• Zhana Cham - Black Hat Dance
• Cha Ging Cham - Dance of Ging of Heroes
• Tsho Ging Cham - Dance of Ten Wrathful Deities of Dorje Phurpa

Day Four (28th Day of the Ninth Lunar Month): Ngacham

The fourth day dedicates ceremonies to the sacred small hand drum, Ngachung Sangwai Drukdhir, the valued possession that guided Nyoeton Thrulzhik Choeje to establish Sumthrang. This drum holds particular significance as the divine instrument that led to the monastery’s founding.

• Shazam Cham - Dance of the Stags
• Durdhag Cham - Dance of the Cremation Ground
• Sangwai Nga Cham - Secret Drum Dance dedicated to the founding drum
• Chung Zhi Cham - Four Garudas Dance
• Pholey Moley - Dance of Handsome Men and Beautiful Ladies

Day Five (29th Day of the Ninth Lunar Month): Torgyab

The torgyab (ritual cake hurling) takes place on the final day, generally attended by large crowds. Ritual officiants gather around the homkhung alongside six dancers - two representing Garuda and four serving as goma zhi (divine guards) of Dorje Phurpa. Together, these rituals and dances crush negative forces and liberate spirits while warding off obstacles to peace and harmony.

The festival concludes with the Tangra (thanksgiving ceremony) performed on the first day of the following lunar month.

• Torgyab Ritual Dances - six masked dancers including two Garudas and four divine guards perform the ritual cake-hurling ceremony
• Divine Rejoicing Dances - celebratory dances performed in the temple courtyard

The five-day Rabney takes place from the 21st to 25th days of the eleventh lunar month, coinciding with Longchen Rabjam’s birth anniversary. The festival features three main masked dances dedicated to Lhagon Choechong (Yak Dance), Durthroe Lhamo and Maning Nagpo, and Drangsong (Rahula) Dance, along with blessings from sacred relics including a Yidam Thongwa Kundrol sculpture, kudung choeten, and kapala of the second Shingkhar Lama.

Shingkhar is located 9 kilometers from the gewog administration office and is one of six chiwogs under Ura Gewog. The temple was founded following Longchen Rabjam’s establishment of Shingkhar Dechenling as one of his Eight Lings in Bhutan, later developed by his grandson Tsezang Thaye Drakpa, who built the temple enshrining his grandfather’s throne.

Day One (21st Day of the Eleventh Lunar Month): Tagon / Chamjug

The festival begins with chamjug (rehearsal day), starting with hoisting the lhadar prayer flag at 8:30 a.m. After cleansing rituals and lunch, participants proceed to Gonphai Gonpa for thruesol purification before returning in procession. Selected mask dances are rehearsed without costumes, culminating in hoisting the gondhar flag to formally commence Rabney rules.

• Shinje Yab-Yum Dance - Death deity couple dance performed before gondhar hoisting
• Zhana Nga Cham - Black Hat Drum Dance
• Choechong Cham - Protective Deity Dance
• Zhiwai Jinsek - Pacifying Fire Offering and evil expulsion rituals

Day Two (22nd Day of the Eleventh Lunar Month): Nangchod Tenzhu

Pre-dawn rituals begin at 3 a.m. with zheythug porridge and protective deity prayers. The highlight is Tenzhu, when sacred relics are displayed for public blessings in an elaborate procession from the temple’s top floor.

Lhagon Choechong (Yak Dance) honors Choechong (Dharma Protector), who manifested as a white-eyed yak from Chuling Singma lake near Shingkhar village. The “religious yak” cannot be seen in daylight, and the dance pays tribute to yaks that serve spiritual masters and provide community necessities.

• Atsara Gadpo - sacred clown sanctifies the ground with arrival narration
• Shinje Yab-Yum Dance - Dance of the Lord of Death and his Consort
• Rolcham - Cymbal Dance
• Lhamo and Gonpo Cham
• Lhagon Choechong - Yak Dance honoring Dharma Protector who manifested as a white-eyed yak
• Shawa Shakhyi - Dance of the Stag and Hound

Day Three (23rd Day of the Eleventh Lunar Month): Kangsol and Tenzug

The day focuses on kangsol (invoking protective deities) and tenzug (livestock offerings to local deities), with rituals for Lama Norbu Jamtsho and Choesung.

• Dre Cham - Subjugation dance by five dancers
• Shazam Cham - Stag Dance by four dancers
• Yoeluema - Spirit Dance by a single dancer
• Peling Gingsum - Trio of Ju Ging (Stick), Dri Ging (Sword), and Nga Ging (Drum) dances
• Shawa Shakhyi

Day Four (24th Day of the Eleventh Lunar Month): Torgyab

Most rituals are dedicated to Drangsong Rahula from 3 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., drawing devotees from across Bumthang for Meme Drangsong’s blessings.

The term Drangsong references Za Rahula, who was one of Longchen Rabjam’s powerful protective deities. Locally, he is also known as Meme Drangsong, or ‘grandfather Drangsong.’ Drangsong is the focus of the Nang Cham (secret dance), in which he blesses the devotees assembled in the temple.

After the Nang Cham, the lama, monks, and other helpers prepare for the torgyab ritual, which is another of the festival’s main events. Torgyab is a ritual exorcism, which uses a pyramidal torma painted red and white with a terrifying face.

• Dralha Pangtoe - presided by Atsara Gadpo
• Dramitse Gingchen - Drum Dance of Dramitse
• Serkyem Zhana - Seven dancer performance
• Throchu - Dance of Ten Wrathful Deities, followed by the secret nangcham dance inside the temple
• Meme Drangsong - Nang Cham, the secret dance inside the temple

Day Five (25th Day of the Eleventh Lunar Month): Guru Tshengyed Thongdrol

The auspicious final day begins with Lama Norbu Jamtsho ritual and Guru Rinpoche prayers until sunrise, featuring the unfurling of Guru Rinpoche thongdrol.

The festival concludes with torma distribution to patrons and Marme Monlam butter lamp prayers, where each participant offers auspicious concluding prayers while holding a butter lamp.

• Sadul Drolo - Single dancer performs Guru Dorje Drolo for space purification
• Durdhag - Dance of Lords of the Charnel Grounds
• Ging Tsholing - Dance of Ging and Tsholing
• Guru Tshengyed - Dance of Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche
• Pholey Moley - Dance of Noblemen and Charming Ladies

Believed to have been introduced in the thirteenth century by Nyoeton Thrulzhik Choeje (1179-1265), the 18th Nyoerab of Sumthrang, Meto Chodpa is a one-day event held in Shing-nyer Lhakhang on the 15th day of the eleventh lunar month. More social events take place through the twentieth day, and all the events are organized by the three constituent villages of Shing-nyer, Zhongar, Krong, and Yukhrung villages.

Shing-nyer village, located 15 kilometers from Ura Gewog center, derives its name from the sacred sewshing plant that grew from the founder’s walking stick. The festival coincides with the rare blooming of this plant’s tiny white flowers in the chilly eleventh lunar month.

Day One (15th Day): Tshechu - The Core Festival

The core Meto Chodpa festival opens with lhabsang (cleansing ritual) conducted early morning, followed by choesung ritual prayers dedicated to protective deities. After this, Phurpai Sungchoe and tshechu take place with tsawa and village people gathering at the lhakhang courtyard to receive thruesol (holy water) from the lama and offer prayers to deities.

At the tshechu’s conclusion, people are served singchang in traditional wooden cups called kortong of two sizes - larger ones holding almost 750ml and smaller versions holding more than 500ml. Participants are served round after round until satiated, accompanied by changpag, an appetizer made of spicy vegetables.

Day Two (16th Day): Tshekor and Chala Takpa

The day begins with lhabsang followed by tshekor, a ceremonial procession featuring five boys carrying colored flags, sacred relics, musicians, and dancers representing khandro offering tshog to enlightened beings.

The central chala takpa divination begins. The gadpo tosses a wine-filled cup into the air - landing upright indicates good fortune, upside down suggests misfortune. Each person gets three chances, with the lama performing the final community divination.

Day Three (17th Day): Tenzhu

The Yidam relic is ceremonially transferred to Krong village in the Tenzhu reception, following ancient footpaths and received with chibdrel processions at the culturally significant Bar Singmai Thang site. At the tsawa’s house, mandatory kortong churma drinking takes place, where everyone must receive full wooden cups of singchang, as refusing is believed to erode one’s luck.

Day Four (18th Day): Chala Takpa in Krong

The chala takpa divination process repeats throughout Krong village households, with the team visiting each home clockwise. At every house, hosts offer kangchang (wine of fulfillment) and lekchang (wine of auspiciousness), providing at least two cups of alcoholic drinks.

Day Five (19th Day): Charzhib

Informal charzhib visits occur without costumes or masks, focusing on entertainment with food and drinks. The team sings auspicious songs like “lebey lebey” while moving house to house, being welcomed with singchang, ara, and tea, though meals are taken at the tsawa’s house.

Day Six (20th Day): Conclusion

The final day features a grand community lunch followed by dhar (thanksgiving) offerings with cash donations and eloquent narrations praising the tsawa. After folk performances and farewell drinks at Bar Singma-thang, the Yidam relic returns to Zhongar lhakhang where the tsawa appoints next year’s successor. The festival concludes with final blessings, the relic’s reinstallation in the gonkhang, and people dispersing to their homes until the next year.