Bhutan Festival

The Festival is a religious event held on the tenth day of the Bhutanese lunar calendar. It is held in different months in different places. The festival unravels the essence and beliefs of tantric Buddhism in magnanimity and it is believed to ward off evil through masked dances choreographed hundreds of years ago with music and rituals.

The festival itself is a tiny Bhutan that encapsulates almost everything about Bhutan, to people, religion, tradition, culture, arts and architecture and mythology. It is believed that the mask dances, blesses onlookers, cleanses all sins, and teaches the dharma. The dancers emulate deities, gods, demons, and animals in compassionate and wrathful forms to impart the teachings.

The festival lasts for three to five days. On the last day, a large scroll painting, usually centuries old, is unveiled and it is believed that the sight of the painting will liberate onlookers. Public holidays are declared during the festival and people of all ages dress up in their best attires and come to witness the festival.