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Bhutan's
Festivals Tshechu |
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Bhutan Information |
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A
look at the Yon-Phuel Tshechu
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The drametse ngacham being performed at the Tshechu
The
Yon-Phuel Lhakhang resonates with the blaring sound of religious musical
instruments and the latest Bhutanese music in the background as hundreds
of people squeeze their way to witness a dance or to try their luck in
a fair stall during the annual Tshechu in Trashigang. |
| The
drametse ngacham being performed at the Tshechu |
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Yon-Phuel
Tshechu has undergone a transition," recalls 62-year old Wangdi from
Pangthang, who has not missed the Tshechu for about a decade. Ten years
ago, only a few villagers came to witness the Tshechu butnow every year
apart from the large crowd that the Tshechu attracts,many fair stalls and
makeshift huts serving as temporary shops has added to the charm of the
Tshechu.
While some come to witness the festival, there are a few whopurposely
come to shop during the Tshechu because in a remote placelike this social
gatherings are very rare and shops very few, said a regular visitor. Some
Thimphu based businessmen have also come all the way to decorate the Tshechu
with electric rice cookers, water boilers and evenelectric pans. One significant
change at the Tshechu according to the Kanglung gupis the decrease in alcohol
consumers.
"Many
villagers, under the influence of alcohol spent nights in the open air
and went back home completely broke. It was a sort of drinking festival
some years back, but now it has changed," the gup said. "To many the Yon-Phuel
Tshechu is also known as kholong Tshechu, (kholong meaning to brawl)," explained
a village elder.
| The
great saint Terton Pema Lingpaon |
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The
unique Yon-Phul Tshechu not only differs from other festivals in the east
but also plays an important role in keeping the spiritual tradition alive
of a very close-knit community.
Yon-Phuel Tshechu, as its name describes,
received its name when the community of Yonphu out of desperation offered
a plot of land as choe-yon or holy offering to the great saint Terton Pema
Lingpaon his visit to eastern Bhutan.
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According
to Pangthang Lam Singye Wangchuk who conducts the annual Tshechu, the community
of Yonphu (including the villages of Mertsam, Kanglung, Yonphula, Pangthang)
has heard about the great terton's visit, but since they did not have anything
worthy to offer, they offered a plot of land, which belonged to the community.
The
great saint in return, built a monastery on the same plot and created a
tsehchu to invoke the deities of the tantric teaching and remove the misfortune
of the community through mask dances.
| Celebrating
the Tshechu in the Peling tradition |
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Here
after, the community of Yonphu celebrated the Yon-Phuel Tshechu in the famous
Peling tradition. Unlike other Tshechus in the east the Yon-Phuel Tshechu
is celebrated thrice in a year under different names. And the community
still equally enjoys the blessing.
| The
villagers organize the festival themselves |
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Kyichu monastery near Paro
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Shouldering
responsibilities themselves the three-day Tshechu is solely organized and
performed by the villagers themselves. While layman perform the dances
and villagers contribute food grains to sustain the three-day festival,
businessmen also contribute money during all the three Tshechus.
Kanglung
gup Ugyen Dorji told that contribution was compulsory when the Tshechu first
started about 370 years ago. "Apart from cash, about 250 households still
contribute rice, wine, kharang and diary products to keep the tradition
alive," said the gup.
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"Nobody
sponsored the Tshechu, but the Tshechu although cashs trapped still continues
to keep an age old tradition. By witnessing such an important festival
ordinary people come to know their place in the history of the country,"
he added.
Several
hundred devotees from as far as Womrong in the south and Yangtse in the
north attended the three-day Tshechu that endedearlier this week by reveling
to the public the sacred relics of the Yon-Phuel lhakhangs.
| Information on Bhutan |
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