Tsechu Festival, Thimphu

The Tsechu Festival grounds on the north side of Thimphu Dzong	The Teschu Festival in Thimphu is one of Bhutan's largest festivals, held the first week of each October	A Bhutanese boy showing off his 6th finger	Dennis with some local boys at the Tsechu Festival, Thimphu
Tsechu Festival, Thimphu, Bhutan	A long line for a blessing	Line for the blessing	The blessing line leads here...we skipped that part
The masked figure represent the guru Tshongkhapa	Bhutanese men in white sashes (kabney) keeping order among the crowd	We made it to Thimphu just in time for the last half of the last day of the Tsechu Festival	Dancers with drums, Tsechu Festival
Dancers with drums, Tsechu Festival	Bhutanese dancer with drum, Tsechu Festival	Bhutanese dancer with drum, Tsechu Festival	Dancing at the Tsechu Festival
Cham Dance, Teschu Festival	Bhutanese dancers	Female dancer, Teschu Festival	The Je Khenpo, the Chief Abbot of the Central Monastic Body of Bhutan
The Je Khenpo is the top religious authority in Bhutan	The Je Khenpo of Bhutan	Our driver had a Je Khempo sticker on our car in Bhutan	Monks lining the balcony to watch the dancers
Gallery of monks watching the Tsechu Festival dances, Thimphu Dzong	Young spectators at the Tsechu Festival	Young spectators at the Tsechu Festival	Young spectators at the Tsechu Festival
Crowds of Bhutanese gathered to watch the Cham dances of the Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	It was as much fun watching the spectators as the dancers	Man wearing the white sash (kabney) of a commoner	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu
Bhutanese man wearing a special blue sash called a kabney	Blue kabney (sash) are reserved for members of the Royal Consultative Council, National Assembly and Members of Parliament	Other sashes are: yellow-royal, orange-minister, white-commoner, green-judges	Masked character among the crowd collecting donations
A-tsa-ra (Joker), a masked character acts a bit like a clown in the crowd while collecting donations	Bhutanese boy, Tsechu Festival	Boys having a good time at the Tsechu Festival	A Bhutanese policeman, exempted from the requirement to wear a gho
Dancing at the Teschu Festival of Thimphu, Bhutan	Dancing at the Teschu Festival of Thimphu, Bhutan	Dancing at the Teschu Festival of Thimphu, Bhutan	Dancing at the Teschu Festival of Thimphu, Bhutan
Folk dances accompany the schedule of religious dances	Bhutanese women in their traditional clothing - wonju and kira	A Bhutanese boy solemnly watching the proceedings	It's definitely worthwhile to time your visit to Thimpu to catch the Tsechu Festival, plus October has the year's best weather
Throngs of the faithful	Bhutanese policemen keeping the pilgrims in an orderly line	Bhutanese female dress	Bhutanese woman wearing traditional dress, Thimphu
Boys playing in the arcade surrounding the festival ground	A Bhutanese official (blue sash) giving directions, Tsechu Festival	There were a few other foreigners present, and the locals all seemed happy to pose for a photo	Bhutanese boys marching together, arm in arm
Even the little children wear the gho	Mother carrying away a little girl	Line of Bhutanese women at for the blessing, Tsechu Festival	Hey - take our photo!
Exotic crowd at the Tsechu Festival, Thimphu, Bhutan	A warm sunny day for the Tsechu Festival	The second a-tsa-ra (joker) with a wreath of greens	Tsechu dancers on the last day of the festival
Bhutanese dancer with an ornate gilded crown and pointy shoes	Tsechu Festival Dancer, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival Dancers, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival Dancers, Thimphu
Tsechu Festival Dancers, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival Dancer, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival Dancers, Thimphu	Masked figure in a crowd while a boy make a phone call
Tsechu Festival Dancers, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival Dancers, Thimphu	Dancer with a small bell, Tsechu Festival	Bhutanese woman with a baby tied to her back with a colorful cloth
Face in the crowd, Tsechu Festival	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	A group of dancers at the Tsechu Festival	Tsechu Festival Dancers, Thimphu
Tsechu Festival Dancers, Thimphu	Dennis with some Bhutanese guys at the Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Little girls, Bhutan	A friendly smile from the lady in green
Dennis in line at the Tsechu Festival	Easy to pick him out with his western dress	Administration of blessings, Tsechu Festival	The monk in green touches devotees with the golden hand
Senior monk at the Tsechu Festival	Keeping order as the Buddha's blessings are administered	Bhutanese Buddhist monk at the Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	The blesser with the golden hand, Tsechu Festival
Masked characters and men with hats of long hair, Tsechu Festival	Masked characters and men with hats of long hair, Tsechu Festival	Wide view of the grounds of the Tsechu Festival of Thimphu on the north side of Trashi Chhoe Dzong	Bhutanese Crowd, Tsechu festival
A rain of rice, Tsechu Festival	Guru Rinpoche brought Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet in the 8th Century	Monk masked as Guru Rinpoche, Tsechu Festival	The long haired monks are playing clarinet-like instruments leading Guru Rinpoche
Umbrella held over the masked monk representing Guru Rinpoche	A line of Bhutanese men at the Tsechu Festival	Dancer, Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Dancer, Tsechu Festival, Thimphu
Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Dorje Droloe, ‘Liberated Diamond-Thunderbolt’	Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Dorje Droloe, ‘Liberated Diamond-Thunderbolt’
Dorje Droloe is followed by his entourage of fearsome deities	Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Tshokye Dorje, ‘Diamond-Thunderbolt Born from a Lake’ (?)	Climax of the Four Day Tsechu Festival
Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Loden Chogse, ‘He Who Wishes to Acquire Supreme Knowledge’
Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Padmasambhava, ‘Born of the Lotus’	Shakya Sengye, ‘Lion of the Shakya Family’	Pema Gyelpo, ‘Lotus-King’ - Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche
Pema Gyelpo, ‘Lotus-King’ - Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Pema Gyelpo, ‘Lotus-King’ - Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Nyima Oezer, ‘Sunbeam’	Sengye Drathok, ‘He with the Voice of a Lion’
Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche, Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche, Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Sengye Drathok, ‘He with the Voice of a Lion’	Sengye Drathok, ‘He with the Voice of a Lion’, Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche
Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche	Folk dancers, Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu
Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Bhutanese men wearing yellow sashes with green and red dots	Wonderful costumes, Tsechu Festival
Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu
Five-leafed golden crown	Men wearing head rings with the colors of the Buddhist flag	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	The camera man is having a good time while some kids look on
"Wai" greetings from young children, Thimphu	Old Bhutanese woman	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu
Spectators at the Tsechu Festival, young and old alike	Senior monks at the Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu
Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Colorful crowd at the Tsechu Festival	Colorful crowd at the Tsechu Festival
Young friendship, Bhutan	Bhutanese Monk at the Tsechu Festival	Folk dancing, Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Folk dancing, Tsechu Festival, Thimphu
Folk dancing, Tsechu Festival, Thimphu	Pavilion roof, Tsechu Festival	Painted and carved arcade around the festival grounds	Dennis with a group of Bhutanese teenagers after the festival wrapped up
Dennis and a Bhutanese teenager after the Tsechu Festival