Bhutan - Festivals & Sports

Tshechu

One of the most celebrated festivals in the Bhutanese calendar is the Tshechu which takes place on auspicious days all year-round. Tshechu is a mask dance festival to commemorate the events in the life of Guru Rinpochoe, who is revered as the second Buddha in Bhutan. The main highlight of the Tshechu is the performance of the masked dances by the monks. It is performed in all the Dzongs and in many monasteries and temples spread throughout Bhutan. During the event, there is also a display of Thongdrol; which are large scroll paintings of deities and saints which the people believes have powers to liberate them from sins that they had committed, just by looking at it.

The Tshechu is considered to be Bhutan’s most common traditional event and draws people from all walks of life to participate and witness. It is extremely popular with western tourists as it gives an authentic and flavourful insight into Bhutan’s cultural and religious extravaganza. Not only that, this festival also serves as a platform for social get-together and the locals will wear their finest clothes and jewelleries when attending. Again, I feel that the Tshechu highlights the importance on religious influence over the culture of Bhutan as it showcases their Buddhism faith during the festival.

Archery

Archery in Bhutan is considered by the Bhutanese as their national sport. However, if you ask any locals, they would have the opinion that archery is more than a sport to them. To them, it is a living example and a dynamic manifestation of the unique culture and traditions of Bhutan. Each village has its own archery range and hence, it is easy to imagine how well-liked the game is to the Bhutanese. Once a week, village teams will compete against each other in rowdy, elaborate, multi-day tournaments that are as much about spectacle as they are about hitting a target. Archers can use almost any means at their disposal to distract or demoralize their opponents, including dancing in front of the targets. Hence, I feel that a major part of this game goes on behind the scenes, as teams conspire to throw off their opponents’ game. It is this, rather than what I typically think of as team interaction, that gives Bhutanese archery such popularity.

As Bhutan is a country deep in religious beliefs, the bow and arrow can only be used for play. In fact, when making arrows, one can use only feathers that were found on the ground; to kill a bird to obtain its feathers would be considered wrong. Also, sticking very closely to their culture, they have forgo the use of modernised bow but instead rely on the traditional hand-carved bamboo bows.