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Bhutan's Tshechu: Festivals in the Land of the Thunder Dragon
| Article
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10518 |
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Section : |
CULTURE
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| Issue
Date : |
1 / 1993 |
953 Words |
| Author
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Barbara Bussell
Barbara Bussell is a free-lance photojournalist living in
Aspen, Colorado. |
Once a year, before dawn, as they have done for centuries, Bhutanese monks prepare to unveil the Thongdrol tanka, a holy painting that is mounted on fabric and kept at the Wangdiphodrang monastery. By the hundreds, members of nearby communities climb the timeworn steps, pass through enormous, hand-hewn wooden doors, and enter the ancient monastery, known as a dzong. Darkness wanes on this crisp September morning as devout Buddhists gather in the central courtyard.
Open to the sky and defined by lofty, tapered walls, the spacious courtyard becomes the stage for ensuing festival events. Massive fortress monasteries like this one have served as religious and administrative centers in each district of Bhutan since the early seventeenth century. Strategically located at the confluence of rivers or atop a rocky ridge, dzongs stand as Bhutan's principal architectural monuments.
As the third day of the annual tshechu (festival) commences, blaring horns affirm that the precise moment to present the spectacular Thongdrol tanka has arrived. From the fourth floor of the main assembly hall, the eight manifestations of Guru Rimpoche are revealed as monks drape the tanka over the structure's ornate façade. The propagation of Tantric Buddhism throughout Bhutan, Tibet, and Nepal in the ninth century is attributed to this Indian saint. The tshechu, which commemorates the guru's birth, was established in 1670 by Bhutan's fourth temporal ruler Tenzing Rabgye.
Bhutanese react with restraint and composure, although they are visibly moved by the splendid sight. Their dark eyes open wide, and they converse in whispers with fingers pointing upward to the holy images. As the tanka's silky fabric billows in the breeze, the devotees reverently approach it, touching their heads to the sacred cloth and receiving a blessing. Spiritual liberation is brought to all who view the Thongdrol (from thong "seeing it" and drol "liberation").
Monks wrapped in crimson robes assemble in the main courtyard to conduct the shugdel, a blessing and offering ceremony. The drone of their voices and the thunder of horns, drums, and cymbals resonate through the cavernous dzong. Dressed in felt boots and fabrics of vivid hues, the Royal Dance Troupe performs and concludes the early morning festivities. Beneath the prodigious images of Guru Rimpoche, the unmasked dancers move with grace and rhythmic precision. The diffusion of Buddhism throughout Bhutan is recalled in this cheerful celebration After being exhibited for approximately two hours, the sacred tanka is rolled up and
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