Punakha Tshechu
Festival

Two Festivals, One Valley

The Punakha Drubchen — Before the Tshechu Begins

To attend the Punakha Tshechu is ideally to arrive a few days earlier for the Punakha Drubchen — a separate and older festival that immediately precedes it. The Drubchen is one of Bhutan’s most historically charged events, re-enacting a real military victory from 1639 in which Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal outwitted a Tibetan invasion force.

The centrepiece is the performance of the Pazaps — local militia men who dress in full battle armour, carrying gleaming swords, wearing heavy metal helmets embellished with flags, and led by eight generals called Magpons. They perform the Lengmag war dance in the courtyard of Punakha Dzong and then depart in large groups with loud cries and the blowing of whistles, re-enacting the expulsion of the Tibetan forces. A sacred relic is ceremonially submerged in the river — symbolising the victory — and the generals are carried up the dzong stairs in triumph. It is one of the most viscerally exciting events in the Bhutanese festival calendar and a complete contrast to the sacred solemnity of the Tshechu that follows.

The Punakha Thongdrel — The Largest Ever Made

The Thongdrel unveiled at the Punakha Tshechu is extraordinary even by Bhutanese standards. Measuring 83 feet by 93 feet and composed entirely of appliqüé on over 6,000 metres of silk brocade, it took 51 artists two full years to complete. It is the largest Thongdrel ever made in Bhutan.

Its subject matter is also entirely distinct from other major festival Thongdrels in the country. The top half is devoted to the eleven manifestations of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal’s lineage, honouring Bhutan’s founder and the man whose legacy the Punakha Tshechu was created to preserve. The bottom half depicts Bhutan’s greatest spiritual leaders, including the Je Khenpo who held office at the time of the Thongdrel’s creation. Surrounding the central figure of Zhabdrung are twenty of the greatest gurus and sages of the Drukpa tradition.

The Thongdrel is displayed on the final morning of the Tshechu, before sunrise. As at Paro, arriving before dawn is essential — the great appliqüé is rolled away once the sun reaches it, and those who miss the early hours miss it entirely.

The Dances & the Setting

The Cham Dances of the Punakha Tshechu

The Punakha Tshechu features the core Cham repertoire common to major Bhutanese festivals, including the Guru Tshengye Cham (the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche), the Shawa Shachi (Dance of the Stags and Hounds), the Shana Cham (Dance of the Black Hats), and the Raksha Mangcham (Dance of the Judgement of the Dead). Because the Tshechu is dedicated to Yeshe Gompo (Mahakala) and Palden Lhamo — protective wrathful deities rather than solely the enlightened forms of Guru Rinpoche — the dances carry a particular emphasis on protection, the subjugation of negative forces, and the safeguarding of the Drukpa lineage that is specific to Punakha.

Between the formal Cham performances, women from the local community perform traditional folk songs in the courtyard — a feature particularly associated with the Punakha Tshechu. Their voices, accompanied by the rhythmic beat of drums and the long horns of the monks, fill the dzong with a sound unlike any other festival in Bhutan.

Punakha Dzong — The Most Beautiful Festival Setting in Bhutan

Punakha Dzong, completed in 1637 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, sits on a tongue of land at the precise point where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet. It is widely regarded as the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan. White-walled and gold-roofed, it rises directly from the water on three sides, its reflection shimmering in the rivers below. In February and March, the jacaranda trees lining the approach road burst into violet bloom, framing the dzong in colour.

The dzong remains the winter residence of the Central Monastic Body and the Je Khenpo, who move here from Thimphu each autumn and return in spring. It was also the site of the royal wedding of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema in 2011. To attend the Tshechu here is to stand in one of the most historically laden and architecturally magnificent spaces in the Himalayan world.

Things to Do in Punakha During Festival Time

• Chimi Lhakhang — the fertility temple of the Divine Madman, Drukpa Kinley, sits on a small hillock across the fields from the main road. A 20-minute walk through rice paddies leads to this pilgrimage site, where couples seeking children come to receive blessings.
• Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten — a 30-minute hike up the hill above the Mo Chhu valley leads to this four-storey chorten built to ward off evil and promote peace. The valley views from the top are among the finest in Bhutan.
• Suspension bridge — one of Bhutan’s longest traditional suspension bridges hangs above the Mo Chhu just downstream from the dzong. A short walk rewards with views back toward the fortress.
• Mo Chhu river rafting — the gentle rapids of the Mo Chhu make for an excellent half-day white-water experience that can be arranged through Found Bhutan.
• Wangdue Phodrang — 30 minutes south, the ruins of the old Wangdue Dzong (destroyed by fire in 2012) are visible on the ridge above the town. The site is currently under reconstruction.