Pemagatshel
Tshechu

The Blissful Land of the Lotus

Pemagatshel — A District Named by a Rinpoche

The name Pemagatshel was given to this district by Dudjom Rinpoche — one of the foremost Nyingma masters of the 20th century and a scholar of extraordinary depth — when the district was formally constituted in 1970, replacing the old name Khoi Dung. Pema means lotus and gatshel means blissful land. The renaming was not arbitrary: the site of the old dzong, when viewed from above, is said to resemble a fully bloomed lotus in the landscape of ridges and valleys. The new dzong’s official ceremonial name — Druk Migyur Dechen Dzong, the Fortress of Unwavering Bliss — was given by the Je Khenpo Jigme Chhoeda, continuing the tradition of poetic naming.

Pemagatshel occupies 517.8 sq km of southeastern Bhutan, with altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 3,500 metres. More than half the district is under broadleaf and coniferous forest; most of the remainder is farmland. The principal crops are maize, potatoes, oranges, and bananas, grown in a subtropical climate with annual rainfall between 1,500 and 3,000 mm. The district is home to 11 gewogs and a population of around 23,600. It is the only district in eastern Bhutan where exclusively Tshangla is spoken — no other dialects exist within the community.

The Festival in Detail

The Pemagatshel Tshechu began in the early 1980s, shortly after the construction of the dzong. Before the dzong was built, the district had no central administrative or monastic focal point of this kind, and the Tshechu gave the community a shared annual gathering for the first time. Since then, it has grown into the largest community event of the year in the district. For three days, all public offices close. The entire population of the surrounding area converges on the open square in front of the dzong.

The festival programme follows the standard Bhutanese Tshechu structure: Cham mask dances by monks and lay performers over three days, traditional folk performances between the formal dances, and the Thongdrel ceremony on the final morning. What distinguishes the Pemagatshel Tshechu is the folk music programme woven throughout — including the Ausa, the farewell song specific to the Tshangla community of this district.

Pemagatshel’s Craft Traditions

The district has two overlapping craft traditions that make it materially important beyond its religious significance. The first is religious instrument making. Pemagatshel is one of Bhutan’s primary production centres for Jalings — woodwind instruments resembling an oboe, used in monastic ceremonies — and Dhungs, the long straight ritual trumpets whose drone is one of the defining sounds of a Bhutanese festival. Instruments made in Pemagatshel are prized across Bhutan and exported to monasteries throughout the country. The Tshechu itself is accompanied by Jalings and Dhungs from local makers.

The second tradition is Bura silk weaving. Pemagatshel weavers produce fine Kiras (women’s traditional dress) from raw silk, including two patterns specific to the district: the Lungsermo and the Aiekapur. These fabrics are traded at the festival and at markets throughout eastern Bhutan.

There is also a celebrated local sweet: Tsatsi Buram, made from the district’s abundant sugarcane. It is produced in the district and sold throughout Bhutan. Festival time is the best moment to try it fresh from the makers in the market stalls around the dzong.

Things to See Near Pemagatshel

• Yongla Goenpa — one of the oldest and holiest shrines in eastern Bhutan, situated on a dagger-shaped mountain ridge with exceptional views. A significant pilgrimage site for the Tshangla community.
• Kheri Goemba — a monastery in the district with important religious significance for the local community.
• Trumpet Making Centre — workshops in Pemagatshel town where Jalings and Dhungs are made by hand. One of the few places in Bhutan where visitors can watch this craft in practice.
• Trashigang — the main town of eastern Bhutan, about 2–3 hours by road from Pemagatshel. A natural base for visiting the district, with the Trashigang Tshechu held in November/December.
• Samdrup Jongkhar — the border crossing with India to the south, about 3 hours from Pemagatshel. A gateway for travellers entering eastern Bhutan from Assam.