Religious Festivals in Bhutan
Religious mask dances and rituals are intended to familiarise the visitors with buddhist teachings - the Dharma - to protect them from mishaps and free them from evil. The dances are taking place each year at the Dzongs, either in spring or autumn, arranged according to the lunar calender (see "Festivals").
Tshechus also provide a forum for social gatherings and contacts. Therefore everybody takes out his best dress or official robe to celebrate the occasion.
Tshechus have been established by the founder of Bhutan, the Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, already during the 17th century.
Bhutanese people owe their unchanged cultural identity to those rites and festivals closely tied to religion.
By attending the dances even a simple layman may realise his place in society and history of the country. Monks as well as laily spectators, assembled within the courtyard of the Dzong, watch carefully the course of the performance.
Those events usually are lasting several days, largest and most important Tshechus are those in Thimphu and Paro.
The Dance of the Lords of the Cremation Grounds - Durdag - has been created by the Shabdrung and is filled with tantric symbolism.
The dancers with skull masks are protectors of the religion and live in the eight cremation grounds at the cosmic diagram of the symbolic Mt.Sumeru to fend off demonic influence.
Mudras are implied by the gestures of the dancing hands and the stomping feet form invisible Mandalas.
Those demonic forces, which have broken their allegiance with tantric doctrin are subjugated by the dancers.
Durdag
In a dramatic development the dancers fight and kill an evil spirit with Phurbas, ritual daggers, to free the world and demonstrate the visitor Zangtho Pelri, the paradise of Guru Rinpoche.
The Ging, wearing terrifying masks with a flag on top, represent heroes, deities and celestial beings, which exorcise demons by touching the head of spectators with their drumsticks. The Tsholing are the protectors of the old religion and are chased away by the Ging.
An irrevocable element of each Tshechu are the clowns or Atsaras. Allegedly traced back to indian Acaryas. These are the only official participants to be allowed mischief and foolery in a society, which otherwise takes religious matters very seriously.
Tshokye Dorji, one of the 8 manifestations of Guru Rinpoche.
On various occasions he is believed to have turned into different phenotypes - among others Tshorye Dorji with a green mask and small thunderbolt, Dorje Droloe with a terri- fying mask and diamond thunderbolt, Padmasambhava in a white mask, Shakya Sengye in Buddha appearance with a begger's bowl and finally Guru Rinpoche in his usual occurence, protected by a golden parasol and surrounded by monks to offer guard and escort.
The most famous Dromchoe takes place in early spring at the Punakha Dzong in honor of Mahakala. Mahakala, the protecting spirit of Punakha, is said to have aided the Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to victory over invading Tibetans in the 17th century. The Tibetans intended to recapture the Rangjung Karsapani, a relic picture of Chenresig, which the Shabdrung had taken with him when fleeing Tibet (see History of Bhutan).
Hard pressed by the overhelming beleaguerers the Shabdrung took to a trick. He inserted a rough imitation of the picture into his wide edging of his Gho, went down to the Mo-river in full view of the Tibetans and pretended to throw the original into the water. Convinced about the definite destruction of the relic, the disappointed Tibentans retreated home.
Songs and dances revive those events almost 400 years ago. Combat cantos echo through the Dzong's courtyards and the Pazaps, the traditional military, execute the Marchang Ceremony.
Only members of a certain bhutanese clan are entitled to provide Pazaps and their Generals. His Holyness the Je Khenpo, highest religious authority in Bhutan and comparable with the Dalai Lama of the Gelugpa order, carefully supervises the performance.
On the last day of the Dromchoe each Magpen, each Pazap General, performs the Lengmag-Dance in front of the Je Khenpo and with sable rattling and much ado the Dzong is left to start the Serdang, the ceremonial procession.
Accompanied by monks with large red caps of the Drukpa Kagyu order also the Je Khenpo moves to the river. Dressed in a black hat and a robe showing the terrifying head of Mahakala, he executes the imitation of the feigned destruction of the image by the Shabdrung in 1639.
Finally the Pazaps return to the Dzong.
At the bottom of the stairs leading to the Dzong's entrance the Generals are drawn from the horses and triumphantly carried up the stairs.
The courtyard turns into a victory ground with freely distributed and freshly fermented drinks.
