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    Yonphula Tsechu

    རི་བོ་ཇིཀྲུ་ཌེཀ
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    The auspicious Yonphula Tshechu is a community celebration where residents pitch in both financially and manually to mold one of the most popular annual festivals in Eastern Bhutan. It is a vibrant three-day religious and cultural event displaying sacred mask dances and traditional folk songs to lay emphasis on the splendor and glory of the rich, spiritual past of Bhutan. Held every year on the 10th day of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar, the festival commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche, the great tantric master who came to Bhutan in the 8th century. The sacred Yonphula Tsechu, dating back almost four decades, is an annual event held at the Yonphula Monastery in Kanglung, Trashigang and attended by locals from all over eastern Bhutan. The monastery is renowned for housing the statue of Lhasa Jowo (the Future Buddha) which was brought all the way from Tibet. The three day Tsechu is marked by sacred mask dances of the Nyingmapa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, traditional song and dance performances and cultural shows. All performances are by monks, lay Buddhist practitioners, villagers and students; a perfect example of local communities living in peace and harmony. Become a part of this vibrant festival that not only celebrates the birth of Guru Rinpoche but al...

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