Kasung Nyokha
Dance

Guardian of the Path to Tsari

The Kasung Nyokha Dance is revealed on the first day of the Thimphu Lhamo Dromchoe, constituted by a group of thirteen dancers and led by the deity Kasung Nyokha himself — a protective deity of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition, Bhutan's state religion. Kasung translates as "obeying the order"; Nyokha is his specific name.

The mask of Kasung Nyokha is brown in colour, carrying a wrathful expression and a five-skull crown. His retinue wears masks with a similarly aggressive countenance, and all dancers wear long-sleeved costumes throughout the performance.

Origins: A Deity Subdued on Pilgrimage

The dance traces its origin to Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (1161–1211), founder of the Drukpa Kagyu master lineage. While travelling on pilgrimage to the Crystal Mountain of Tsari, Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje found his path obstructed by the local deity Nyokha, whom he subdued through the use of ritual gesture rather than force.

There is no definitive account of precisely when the dance was introduced to Bhutan, or by whom — but it is estimated to have been performed at Thimphu's Trashichho Dzong for at least a couple of hundred years. Its main purpose is to invoke blessings and commemorate Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje's opening of the gateway to the Crystal Mountain for pilgrims who followed after him. Tradition holds that those who experience difficulties making their own pilgrimage journeys will have their obstacles cleared through observing or attending this dance — the same powerful prayers that once opened the way for Tsangpa Gyare are understood to continue clearing the path for pilgrims today.

Where to See the Kasung Nyokha Dance

The Kasung Nyokha Dance is performed exclusively as part of the Thimphu Lhamo Dromchoe (Thimphu Drubchen) — the solemn two-week retreat that precedes Thimphu Tshechu each year, dedicated to the protective deity Palden Lhamo. Read our full guide to the Thimphu Drubchen for its complete programme, or the Thimphu Tshechu that follows it.