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Bhutan's
Festivals Tshechu |
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Bhutan Information |
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Dagana:
5-day tshechu to invoke local deities
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The
last tshechu of the female bird year, the annual Dagana tshechu, concludes
today with the unfurling of the Neten Chudrug Thongdroel.
While
annual tshechus elsewhere in the country last for three days, the Dagana
tshechu goes on for five days.
According
to the Dagana Neten, Lam Ugyen, the duration of the tshechu is associated
with the five local deities of Dagana.
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| Mask
dances are performed outside the dzong |
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Lam
Ugyen explained that according to local religious belief five local deities
- Jomo Dakamo, Dechen Zangmo, Sha-thong-Chen, Ta-Tshong-Gang-bur and Go
bur Kencho - protect the people of Dagana.
Each
day of the tshechu begins with an atsara invoking all the five deities.
An
ex army man, Ap Sharib, 67, from Peling village said that tshechus today
was fun to watch with mask dancers wearing so many colourful costumes.
"In the past, costumes were hard to find and mask dancers had to borrow
them from various monasteries and people who owned them."
Elderly
Dagaps say that before 1983, the dzongda (and dzongpon before that) and
the Lam Neten of the dzong were received every morning on horseback from
the dzong in a traditional chipdrel ceremony during the tshechu.
Apart
from a time of religious reconciliation, many of the younger generation
also see the tshechu as a venue for entertainment. "We get to see so many
new people and new things and wear new cloths. It is interesting," said
Sonam Dorji, a primary school student.
This
year, side attractions during the annual festival were a magic show and
several dice stalls apart from some makeshift hotels.
Dzongda
Goling Tshering said that most of those who attend the tshechu were from
nearby geogs like Drujaygang, Kana, Seza and Khabesa. "Some residents of
Drujaygang still come on foot using a mule track which takes them two days
just to reach here to attend the tshechu," he said.
Dagana
town has about 700 residents while Dagana dzongkhag has a population of
a little more than 21,000 according to dzongda Goling Tshering. Of the
11 gewogs four are partially electrified.
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| Contributed
by Tashi Dorji, KUENSEL, Bhutan's national newspaper, 2006 |
| Information on Bhutan |
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Punakha
dzong |
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