Tshechu Mask Dance Of Bhutan

In monasteries the mask dances are performed by monks and in remote villages they are performed jointly by monks and village men.

Tshechu mask dance of bhutan. Sources say guru rimpoche healed a king called sindhu raja by performing eight forms of dances representing eight manifestations of padmasambhava in the bumthang valley to restore the health of the king. A mask dancer teacher phub tshering said kaka and phuba have good action and gesture required to perform mask dance. It is held annually in various monasteries dzongs of bhutan to honor the guru rinpoche padmasambhava being his human form the lotus born teacher who brought tantric buddhism to bhutan in the 8th century.

Tshechus are religious festivals of the drukpa lineage of the kagyu school of tibetan buddhism. The fourth desi tenzin rabgay initiated the first mask dance festival in the year 1687 in tashi chodzong in thimphu. The two dancers will perform around 13 items during the five day paro tshechu that ends today.

A tsechu is performed as a tribute to guru rimpoche a great buddhist master who brought buddhism to bhutan. The month depends on the place. Both kaka and phuba get paid around nu 16000 for performing during the tshechu.

Tshechu or the mask dance festival is held annually in various temples monasteries and dzongs across bhutan to honor padmasambhava who brought tantric buddhism to bhutan in the 8 th century. In addition to the mask dances tsechus also include colorful bhutanese folk dances and other forms of entertainment. Tshechu or the mask dance festival is the most important religious festival in bhutan.

Every mask dance performed during a tshechu has a special meaning or a story behind it and many are based on stories and incidents from as long ago as the 8th century during the life of guru padmasambhava.