Punakha Festival: Ultimate Guide to Punakha Drubchen and Tshechu

Punakha one of the places where the major Tshechus of Bhutan are held, including the famous Punakha Tshechu and Punakha Drubchen. Served as the national capital for over 300 years from 1637 to 1955, Punakha has preserved good ancient customs and habits, so you can experience the authentic traditional festivals here.

For many international travelers, it will be a special experience to join in the local tshechu ceremonies while visiting Punakha. What is the most popular festival in Punakha? How to plan a festival tour while visiting Punakha in Bhutan? Here we offer the ultimate guide on Punakha Festival tour planning.

Punakha Drubchen

Almost 400 years ago, while the construction of the famous Punakha Dzong was still underway, Bhutan was attacked across its northern mountainous border by Tibetan forces. Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the former Tibetan Drukpa who fled Tibet during a time of instability, was having the Dzong built when the Tibetans marched across the border, and it was his unification of the people that was instrumental in driving back the invading armies. The Punakha Drubchen is the main celebration of the defeat of the invaders and is a huge festival in the Dzongkhag every year.

Punakha Drubchen Festival

Punakha Drubchen festival is held around the first or second week of the New Year in Bhutan, and comes just before the famous Punakha Tshechu. Lasting for three days the festival celebrates the victory by re-enacting the epic battle that took place. This theatrical event is performed by member of the local militia, dressed up in the traditional fighting rigs of the time, using blunted weapons of the era. The performance emphasizes the fact that there was no national militia at the time, and the “army” was made up of young men from eight tschogchens of Thimphu Dzongkhag, who marched willingly to fight the invaders.

The festival began in 2005, after the 70th Je Khenpo was petitioned for the festival to be allowed, to keep alive the customs and honor the deeds of the famed Zhabdrung Rinpoche. As well as the fight re-enactment, the festival also includes several local cham dances, other entertaining performances, archery contests, and lots of singing, eating, and drinking.

Punakha Tshechu

Tshechu are the major festivals in Bhutan that are religiously oriented and mainly held to celebrate the birth anniversary of the Buddhist saint, Padmasambhava, also known as the Guru Rinpoche. Believed to have brought Buddhism to Bhutan from Tibet in the 8th century, on the back of a flying tigress that was his former Tibetan consort, Guru Rinpoche is considered to be the Second Buddha, and all 20 districts in Bhutan hold a festival in his honor on the tenth day of a Bhutanese month.

Punakha Tshechu Festival

The celebrations of the Punakha Tshechu are more like the celebrations of Losar, the Bhutanese New Year, and as well as being a day of celebrating for the people, it is also a religious day of offerings for Guru Rinpoche in the Punakha Dzong. The Dzong also hosts the main Cham Dances of the festival, which are held in the courtyard and performed by the villagers and the local monks and lamas. Most of the dances are based around the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche, and the dancers are dressed in colorful exotic costumes and wearing strange and often frightening colored masks.

Sacred Thongdroel is unveiled in the Dzong Courtyard

The final day of Punakha Tshechu is the most important for many onlookers, as it is the day when the sacred Thongdroel is unveiled in the Dzong courtyard. A huge tapestry featuring the image of the Guru Rinpoche surrounded by other deities, the thongdroel is an iconic sight in Punakha every year. People believe that the mere sight of this holy object can liberate the onlooker and cleanse him of the sine he has committed over the previous year.

Punakha Dzong – The Major Place to Held Punakha Festivals

As one of the oldest Dzongs in Bhutan, Punakha Dzong is also rated as the most beautiful Dzong in the kingdom, and when the spring comes, the Jacaranda trees only serve to enhance the amazing beauty of the monastery-fortress. The second Dzong to be built in the country, it served as the seat of theocratic government in Bhutan for hundreds of years. It is also the winter residence of the Official Monastic Body of Bhutan and the place where all the Dragon Kings were crowned.

Punakha Tshechu Festivals in Punakha Dzong

As well as being one of the most famous Dzongs in Bhutan, Punakha Dzong is also the location of one of the most prominent festivals in the kingdom, the Punakha Tshechu. Held annually in the Dzong, the courtyard hosts the famous Cham Dances, and it is here that the sacred Thongdroel is unfurled for the faithful Buddhist people to gaze upon, to absolve themselves of the sins of the past year.

Stretching for 180 meters in length and 72 meters wide, the central tower of the Dzong, known as the “Utse”, stands six storeys tall and was built in 1676, 38 years after the original construction was completed. Many of the later features of the Dzong have been added in the years between 1744 and 1763, and the Chenmo Thongdroel that is shown at the Tshechu was donated to the Dzong during this time by the 13th Desi of Bhutan, Sherab Wangchuck.

How Do the Locals Celebrate the Festivals in Punakha

Festivals are a major part of Bhutan’s culture, and are both religious and social events that bring the people together in their Buddhist faith and their social interactions at the same time. The first part of the festival is normally the religious rituals and ceremonies, since most of the festivals in Bhutan are dedicated to Guru Rinpoche or another Buddhist saint or deity. These can last for a few hours or take all day, and the length depends on the festival itself.

Celebrate the Festivals in Punakha

After the religious ceremonies and rituals, the festive events of the Tshechu come. While the Atsara features and the Cham Dances are mainly a religious thing, they are also a social interaction, as many of these famous performances tell stories of Buddhism and social acts throughout history, as well as reinforcing Bhutanese values.

The Cham Dances are normally held for most of the festival, and are mostly performed by monks and lamas, though some are performed by the local people as well, especially in the less religious events such as the Black-Necked Crane Festival. The whole festival is also a major social event, where friends and families get together and enjoy the shows together and eat picnics while watching performances or just talking and drinking.

What’s the Weather like during the Festivals in Punakha?

In Punakha, the main festivals are held in the beginning of the year, around February or March, which means the weather is normally dry and pleasant, albeit a little cool at times. The Punakha festivals are held at a time when there is normally only around 10-15mm of rain in the entire month, and in February, you can expect almost the whole month to be sunny and bright. Temperatures can be a little different though. On average, February in Punakha has an average temperature of around 12-13 degrees, which is relatively warm for Bhutan in winter.

Punakha is at a lower altitude than Paro and Thimphu, and therefore gets a lot warmer weather, rarely dropping below freezing, even in the coldest months of the year. In February, daytime temperatures can reach as high as 18 degrees, with nights only dropping down to around 7 degrees.

However, this is no guarantee that your trip will be bright and sunny all the time; weather can be very unpredictable in the kingdom. It can be said, though, that most festivals are held at a time when it is normally good weather, as holding a festival in the rain would not be as enjoyable.

How to Plan a Bhutan Tour with Punakha Festival Experience

If you are planning a Bhutan tour for the Punakha festival, then a few simple hints and tips can help you to make this the trip of a lifetime. With just a few minor considerations, you can set yourself up to have the most amazing festival experience of your life.

Take a classic cultural tour to Punakha Dzong during your Punakha Festival Tour

Knowing when to go is the most important thing, as the festivals are only held on set dates. Checking the dates on the Bhutanese calendar against the Gregorian calendar can help you understand the actual dates of the festivals.

You also need to consider how you will get to Punakha, where to stay while you are there, and what to see and do while you are there before and after the festivals.

The only way to get to Punakha is to drive from Paro or Thimphu via the highway. It takes about 3 hours from Paro to Punakha and 2.5 hours from Thimphu.

There are kinds of hotels and resorts in Punakha, from standard 3-star hotels to 5-star luxury hotels. However, if you plan to visit Punakha during the festival holidays, it is suggested to make your reservation as early as possible. Since there will be thousands of tourists coming to join in the festival, it is hard to book a room if you book too late.

To make your trip more worry-free, we offer you all-included Bhutan Festival tour packages that covering the Bhutan visa application, the travel itinerary arrangements, transfer and hotels booking, etc. We can also help with advice on things to see and do for the rest of your trip in Bhutan. All you need to do is get in touch with us and our professional tour advisors will be more than happy to help.

Conclusion of Punakha Festival

Punakha’s amazing festivals are always worth traveling to Bhutan for, and can make your trip to the Land of the Thunder Dragon even more amazing and extraordinary than you thought possible. AS two of the largest festivals in Bhutan, the Punakha Drubchen and Punakha Tshechu are one of the best ways to learn more about the Bhutanese religion and culture, and for getting to know the people better.