Tshechu season starts today
Annual religious festival in Thimphu kicks off with performances by RAPA dancers
5 October, 2011 – In keeping with a tradition instituted in 1867 by the fourth Desi, Tenzin Rabgye, the annual Thimphu tshechu in honour of Guru Rinpoche, the saint who bought Buddhism to Bhutan in the seventh century, starts today with performances by dancers of the royal academy of performing arts at the Tendreythang.
The performance of the sacred chams (dances), by monks of the central monastic body and laymen, begins tomorrow with the Shacham or the Dance of the Four Stags, and continues in an atmosphere of festivity, mixed with deep spiritual significance.
All government offices, schools and institutes in Thimphu dzongkhag will shut down for three days, starting October 6 to allow people in the valley and beyond gather at Tendreythang and witness the costumed and masked dances, based on incidents from the life of the Guru Rinpoche and other saints.
The Shinjey pho-mo, Zhana, Zhana Ngacham, Dhurda, Tungam, Tshogling, Gurutsengye and Rignga Chudrug will be performed by the monks, while the Drametse Ngacham, Shazam, Ging, Pholey-Moley, Shaw-Shakhe, Raksha mangcham will be performed by laymen.
According to monks of the central monastic body, the Zhana cham, Zhana Nga cham (Dance of the 21 Black Hats), Durdag (Dance of the Lords of the Cremation Ground), and the Tungam cham (Dance of the Terrifying Deities) were the only dances performed when the tshechu was first instituted.
In the 1950s the Thimphu tshechu underwent change when the third Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, introduced numerous other chhams performed by laymen. Besides Thimphu, other districts in the western and central regions will also be holding their annual tshechus this week.
In the northern district of Gasa, the tshechu starts today at the Phub-lhakhang, which is a 10-minute walk above Gasa dzong. “The first two days involve performing rituals to celebrate Zhabdrung’s first visit to Gasa,” Gasa lam neten Kuenzang Namgye said. The mask dances are performed on the last two days in the courtyard of the Gasa dzong. This started only five years ago, after a monastic body was established in Gasa.
The three-day tshechu in Haa and Wangdue started yesterday, and will conclude with the unfurling of the Guru tsengye thongdrol for the public.
In Bumthang, the three-day Phagla-choedpa in Tamzhing monastery, which begins today, is believed to have started in 1501, after the Chokhor deb offered land to terton Pema Lingpa to establish his monastic seat in Choekhor, Bumthang.
The Gathpi gocham, Phagcham (Boar dance), Phurbi tsacham (Kilaya dance), Tsangpai Ging and Chendren Ngama are some unique dances of Tamzhing Phagla Choedpa.
The Gangtey tshechu in Wangduephodrang will begin from October 7, and the mask dances will begin from October 9, for three days, which will end with a unfurling of Sampalhendrup thongdroel on the last day.
Source: kuenselonline