Bhutan's Paro Festival: Dancing Deities of the Dragon Kingdom

Bhutan is a country steeped in traditions and ancient practices, which are all put on show for the annual Paro Tsechu, the biggest festival in the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon.

Hundreds of people gather in the cool mountain air at Paro Dzong, the ancient fortress-cum-monastery that is the centre of religious life in the small town. The historic building, officially called Rinchen Pung Dzong and built in 1644, is reputedly one of the country’s best examples of Bhutanese architecture, featuring robust walls and intricate designs.

Men, women and children come from all over the countryside dressed in their finest clothes for this event – men in their gho and women in their kira. Many Bhutanese people wear traditional clothing every day for work and social activities, but the festival is a great chance to show off new or special items.

The trumpets begin to drone and cymbals clash as the performances begin – monks dressed in elaborate brocade costumes take centre stage and begin their stylized dances. They pace, each step deliberate and carefully placed, raise their arms and flick their wrists, and leap into the air like athletes. Their dances are symbolic retellings of Tibetan Buddhist mythology or particular teachings, but to the uninitiated they make a colourful and mysterious spectacle.

Throughout the day several different dances are performed, each one with unique costumes and masks to indicate which demons or spirits the monks are portraying. The monks spend months preparing themselves for the performance, and don’t disappoint their audience who watch enraptured, certain that just by being in the crowd they are gaining spiritual merit.

A highlight of the festival for the pilgrims and spectators is the arrival of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), embodied by a costumed monk. Guru Rinpoche was a saint, or a second Buddha according to some believers, who is credited with firmly securing Buddhism’s place on the roof of the world in Tibet. The unique Tibetan form of Buddhism was also spread to Bhutan by Guru Rinpoche when he flew to the country on the back of a tiger and landed at the now famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery just outside Paro.

Finally, at dawn on the final day of the festival an enormous thangka (woven image depicting religious figures) is unveiled, completely covering the side of a building. The pious line up to make offerings or receive a blessing from the thangka, many believing that even just to see it ensures liberation from suffering. After a few short hours the thangka is once again carefully covered and stored inside the monastery building for another year until the next Paro Tsechu.

Paro town is like the cover of a chocolate box – its streets are full of colourfully painted wooden shop fronts, reminiscent of an Austrian or Swiss mountain village. Never colonised, Bhutan remained totally isolated until the mid-1970s, when its border slowly creaked open and tourists began trickling in. Strict regulations for tourism has ensured that the country retains its charm and quaint atmosphere even through the introduction of sealed roads, cars, telephones, and electricity in the 1960s.

The present-day government encourages tourism, but requires all visitors to join a tour company. It levies a tourist tax of US$65 (NZ$90) a day to help provide free education and healthcare for the entire population. Tourist numbers remain modest, with fewer than 23,000 visiting in the first half of 2016, which pales in comparison to Thailand’s whopping 16.5 million tourists for the same period.

Even at Paro Tsechu, an event that draws crowds from far and near for this once-a-year event, tourists are in the minority and can experience being totally immersed in the Bhutanese culture.

The Paro Festival is held annually in March or April. Find out more about travelling to Bhutan during Paro Tscechu.

Yoga Journeys reach new heights

There has been a huge growth in the range of yoga retreats and holidays available to keen yoga students. There is now such a market for yoga trips that you could take your pick of destinations: Bali, Spain, Guatemala, Tuscany and now of course Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal with Beyond The Clouds.

Beyond The Clouds ran its first Yoga journey in 2012 with the lovely Maureen McKain from Nelson. We took Maureen and her yoga students to our project village where they spent a week helping at the project before exploring Pokhara and Chitwan National Park. Soon the number of groups increased and in more recent years, we have been offering Yoga Journeys in Bhutan. 

We have two yoga journeys scheduled in September/ October this year and our March 2018 Yoga Journey is already fully booked. So what is the attraction of a yoga holiday? It is a perfect way to combine travel with like minded people whilst furthering your yoga practice, relaxing and unwinding from the stresses of everyday life. Men are now joining their wives on these trips or a group of ladies head off together on an unforgettable yoga holiday.

Now Beyond The Clouds is starting Tibet Yoga Journeys staying in a stunning chain of Tibet owned and managed boutique lodges. Founding Director, Fionna Heiton says " Yoga journeys are our best selling trips. Someone books and suddenly their friends want to join them. They feel safe in our hands and can relax knowing that we will be with them every step of the way."

Beyond The Clouds is always on the look out for qualified yoga teachers interested in leading Yoga Journeys with them! 

Festival Fever in Bhutan!

One of the most unique travel experiences you could ask for is attending a Bhutanese festival, or tshechu as they are known as in Bhutan. There really is nothing that compares and I was over the moon to spend a day at a festival last year in central Bhutan.

So what makes a Bhutanese tshechu so special? Tshechus have been celebrated in Bhutan for hundreds of years. Celebrations begin on the 10th day of the Tibetan lunar calender and continue for 4 days. They take place in Dzongs, which are both the spiritual and administrative centre for the area. Different dances are performed on each of the days by monks dressed in elaborate costumes.

The dances depict historical events and captivate the audience.

The dances are quite mesmerising as the monks twirl.

Often a huge tongdrol or thangka is unravelled on the last day!

The musicians!

These festivals are an incredible opportunity to experience ancient ritual. 

Half the fun is meeting the locals at tschechus. 

Beyond The Clouds Journeys almost always include attending one of Bhutan's unique festivals. Do remember that flights and hotels get booked up months in advance prior to the bigger festivals at Paro, Thimpu, Punakha and Wangdue. It is a good idea to contact us as much as 6-12 months in advance to secure your place.

For more information: www.beyondtheclouds.org.nz

Email: info@beyondtheclouds.org.nz

Bhutan is Good Value For Money!

Bhutan has always been on my bucket list! It is one of those countries that I always dreamed of visiting but thought it was just too expensive and hard to get to, as tourist numbers are limited. Myth number one! Tourist numbers in Bhutan are not restricted. And although all tourists must pay a minimum fixed daily rate, a trip to Bhutan does in fact represent good value for money! I travelled with Beyond The Clouds to see Bhutan for myself.

The first surprise was the architecture. Having flown in from Kathmandu where ugly concrete buildings rise haphazardly, the Bhutanese are encouraged to build using traditional methods. Even the airport terminal building showcases Bhutan’s stunning architecture.

The next reminder that you have arrived in the mystical kingdom is the currency: the Bhutanese Ngultrum. I change money and headed into Paro, which is more of a small town than a city. Rows of neat, beautifully decorated houses line the streets. The stunning mountain scenery, green meadows and clean, fast-flowing rivers remind me of Switzerland. Men in Bhutanese national dress, a kind of tunic worn above the knee, compete in archery matches with crossbows. They break into a strange ritualistic dance every time they hit the bullseye. I feel I must have landed in some kind of Buddhist fantasy land as red robed monks carry ornately decorated butter lamps across ancient courtyards.

Travelling by car with my highly knowledgeable Bhutanese guide I am transported into the land of myths and legends. Buddhism was introduced to Bhutan in the 7th century, when Guru Rinpoche flew on the back of a tiger to what is now knows as the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. This is Bhutan’s most iconic tourist attraction and I was eager to see it for myself.

I was not prepared for the stunning scenery of unbroken forest (70% of the country is forest), rhododendrons in bloom, at one of the most spiritual Buddhist sites in the world. Cut into the rock, the ancient monastery clings miraculously to a sheer cliff, rising 1000 metres from the valley floor. The views are magnificent over the Paro Valley, and the only sounds to be heard are prayer flags blowing in the wind.

The standard of hygiene in Bhutan is very high and hotels offer extremely comfortable accommodation. I could not believe that my room at the Naksel Boutique Hotel and Spa just outside Paro was really for me. I revelled in the gorgeous pine-clad room, beautiful bed linen and luxurious bathroom. As part of tour packages, tourists eat buffet style in their hotels. I wanted to get out to explore a wider range of eateries, which turned out to be fabulous in Thimpu, the tiny capital that still has no traffic lights. The Bhutanese national dish ema datshe is chillis and cheese, and this is a little challenging to the western palate. I was therefore delighted to try other local specialties, such as lightly braised asparagus, ferns and red rice.

Deep in central Bhutan I discovered Bhumthang cheese and yoghurt made at a cheese factory, started when the Bhutanese advertised in a Swiss newspaper for a cheese maker. The Swiss gentleman who answered the advert arrived to find no cows and had to introduce Jersey cows into the lush Bumthang Valley. Now his grandchildren run the bucolic Swiss Guest House, renowned for its fresh home-made bread, yoghurt and cheese, and famous fondue evenings. Set in a beautiful apple orchard, the guesthouse serves delicious home-cooked meals in the charming restaurant.

In the historic town of Trongsa, I was walking down the street when I was invited to join ladies dancing at the investiture of the new governor of Trongsa. Before I knew it, the governor and I were posing for pictures together and discussing global events. Amazingly, I ran into my new friend a few days later at a festival in the Bumthang Valley. The tsechu, or festival, is one of those once-in-a-lifetime cultural immersion experiences. I was lucky enough to watch the show from the special room reserved for head monks, royal family and of course my chum the governor!

Sadly, it was time to leave Bhutan. I have yet to reach the remote Haa Valley over the highest pass in the country. I will just need to return again!

Beyond the Clouds runs a full range of journeys in Bhutan. All profits are used to fund its vital work in post-earthquake Nepal.