Festivals of sikkim and bhutan

IT IS THE TOPIC IN THE SUBJECT EASTERN HIMALAYA STUDIES . ITS ALL ABT THE FESTIVALS OF SIKKIM AND BHUTAN

1. Topic:- FESTIVALS OF SIKKIM AND BHUTAN







SUBMITTED BY:-
JINENDRA KR. KOCHAR JAIN

2. CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGE NO.



1. FESTIVAL OF SIKKIM 1-7
Introduction
Different types of festivals

2. FESTIVALS OF BHUTAN 7-18
Introduction
Different types of festivals


3. REFERENCE 19

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FESTIVALS OF SIKKIM

INTRODUCTION:-
Sikkim is a northeastern state with an amalgamation of people
thus you can witnesses a bundle of fairs and festivals every year.
This best place to visit is rich in history and culture, most
importantly they celebrate festivals with great zeal. Here, you can
experience the kaleidoscope of colours, its diversified culture and
rich traditions in their array of festivals such as Pang Lhabsol,
Bumchu etc, for instance Losar is a famous festival in Sikkim. It is
the Tibetan New Year that is celebrated every February with great
fervor and enthusiasm and significantly celebrated with friends
and family.

Also, preceding Losar Festival, GuthorChaam is held where lama’s
dance joyously at the Pemayangtse and Rumtek Monasteries.
Another New Year festival in Sikkim is the Sonam Losoong of
Sikkimese Bhutia which also marks the end of the harvest festival.
Losoong similar to Losar isjoyously celebrated with a lively and

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colourful cham or dance and it falls on the last month of the year.
Sikkim is also known as the last Himalayan Shangri La, perhaps for
its happy environment, monks and festivals. Such joyful feasts are
the dancing festivals or chaams like Kagyat Dance, Enchey Chaam
and Guthor Chaam. These vibrant event is marked by unique
masked dance wearing colorful robes and accessories. These are
traditional dances of the lamas that are held in the Buddhist
Monasteries.
There are a number of religious festivals in Sikkim such as Saga
Dawa, it is a famous festival. This is an important celebration for
the Buddhists and it is considered to be the holiest depicting the
story of Lord Buddha. During this festival, the famous masked
dances are presented with temples that are lit up in honor of the
lord. Saga Dawa is a magnificent carnival in Sikkim that takes place
on every fourth month of the Buddhist Calendar. Drupka Teshi is
another religious festival, on this festival mass-prayers are held
and Yak race are organised during the end of the festival which is
certainly the highlight of the feast. Besides, Dasain and Tihar are
celebrated with great zest in Sikkim;
Dasain also known as Durga Puja, a Hindu festival and Tihar known
as Diwali symbolizes the return of Lord Ram. A crowd pulling and
popular festival in Sikkim, HEE Bermiok Tourism Festival is
celebrated every May in the charming HEE Bermiok village in West
Sikkim. Thousand of tourist make their way from across the globe
to witness this auspicious event. Sikkim is a must visit destination
to be surrounded by beautiful monasteries and temples garlanded
with prayer flags with various festivals that keeps on lifting the
spirits of the Sikkimese people.

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Different Types of Festivals of Sikkim

These are some regional festivals of Sikkim which include:-
 Loosong,
 Saga Dawa,
 Lhabab Duechen,
 Drupka Teshi and
 Bhumchu that are celebrated by Buddhist religious
communities.
 Losar – the Tibetan New Year in mid-December is an
important festival of the state when most of the government
offices and tourist centres are closed for a week.


1. Saga Dawa:-


 Saga Dawa is the triple blessed festival for the Mahayana
Buddhist people in Sikkim.
 Saga Dawa is called the "month of merits" for Tibetan
Buddhists. Dawa means "month" in Tibetan, and "Saga" or

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"Saka" is the name of a star prominent in the sky during the
fourth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar.
 On this days people pray and offers butter lamps in the
monasteries.
 Saga Dawa is included by three day event. They are the birth
of Buddha, enlighten taken by Buddha and death of Buddha.
 It is celebrated on the full moon day of Buddhist lunar
calendar.

2. Phang Lhbsol:-


 Phang Lhbsol is the unique festival in Sikkim. In this festival
people worship Mount Kangchenjunnga for its unifying
power.
 The literal meaning of 'Phang' means 'the witness'. Actually,
the day of Phang Lhabsol also acts as the witness of blood
brotherhood treaty that was signed between the Lepchas
and the Bhutias.
 On this festival the guardian deity is portrayed as a fiery red
face deity with a crown of five skulls and riding a snow lion.

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 Pang-Toed dance and spectacular warrior dances are also
performed by the monks in the festival.


3. Losoong:-


 Losoong is celebrated at the end of the harvest season in
rural Sikkim.
 It is the celebration of the Sikkimese New Year
 The Chaam dance is performed in this festival, which remarks
the victory of the good spirits over the evil spirits.
 Along with dance, archery competitions also organized in the
festival.

4. DASAIN:-

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 The Nepali communities of Sikkim celebrate Dasain festival.
 This festival remarks the victory of good spirits over evil
spirits.
 The elder person of a family applies Tika on the young and
blesses them in the festival.

5. Drupka Teshi:-


 The Buddhist community of Sikkim celebrates the Drupka Teshi
festival.
 This festival is celebrated on the day, when Buddha received
his four noble truths.
 to observe Buddha's first preaching of the "Noble Truths" at
the deer park in Sarnath.
 Drupka Teshi is celebrated on the Teshi (fourth) day of Drupka
month of Tibetan calendar.
 Along with prayers, a yak race is also organized in the festival.

6. Lhabab Duchen:-

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 One of the major Buddhist festivals in Sikkim, Lhabab Duchen
is held on the 22nd day of the 9th calendar month of Tibet.

 Festival celebrated to observed Buddha’s decent from The
Heaven.

 On Lhabab Duchen, the effects of positive or negative actions
are multiplied ten million times.

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FESTIVALS OF BHUTAN

INTRODUCTION:-
Hidden away in a corner of the Himalaya, the secretive kingdom of
Bhutan is an unforgettable destination with ancient traditions,
spectacular mountain scenery and vibrant festivals. At these
hundreds of people gather to see the monks, dressed in brightly
coloured robes, perform ritual dances. For several days there are
masked dances and prayer meetings, and a general carnival
atmosphere prevailsThe spring departures visit Paro Festival, whilst
the autumn departures take in Thimpu, Dechenphu or Genekha
Festivals. The December departure visits the lesser-known Trongsa
festival, which is smaller and offers a more intimate experience.
Bhutan is overwhelming with cultural activities, no matter
when you plan to visit the region. In particular, visit during
festivals to enjoy a colorful phase of your vacation. Every
month, Bhutan holds at least one cultural festival or
celebration.

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Different Types of Festivals of Bhutan

1. Thimphu Tshechu:-
This is the iconic celebration of the land. This festival brings
thousands of locals together for this three-day festival. Locals wear
traditional attire and enjoy dancing and other cultural activities in
Tahichhodzong fortress’ courtyard. The cultural activities include the
iconic masked dance. The festival has been in their culture since 19
th

century. Top dances to enjoy in this festival are 21 black hat dance,
dance of angry deities, dance of cremation ground and so on. This
festival is celebrated on the 10
th
day of 8
th
month of lunar calendar,
which falls in September or October.

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2. Paro Tshechu:-
This is the spring festival, where you can find monks and laymen
celebrating the festival, together. Locals wear very colorful dresses
and some wear costumes too. Masks are worn to represent demons
and Gods, when they enact mythological stories of Buddhism. The
best part of the festival is the display of a religious scroll, which is
around four-storey high and 350 years old. This festival is usually
celebrated in March.


Top festival attractions of Paro Tshechu
 Enjoying traditional dance, music and other cultural
celebrations
 Explore the central valleys of Bhutan
 Enjoy farmhouse visits and excursions through the village
 Visit the markets for shopping experiences

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 Monks teach meditation and traditional cooking during this
festival. Take part in those workshops

3. Jambay Lhakhang Drup:-
This is no different from the other cultural festivals. It is enjoyed
with mask dances, rituals and other ceremonies. However, this
festival is celebrated in a grander version than other festivals. This
festival’s iconic celebration is the fire ceremony, in which the locals
run beneath a flaming gate, made with dry grasses. Dance of
Treasure is another unique attraction of the festival. In this festival,
the masked dancers perform an unique dance at the middle of the
night, naked. This dance is said to bless infertile women to bear
children.
Locals run beneath a flaming gate made with dry grasses
Top festival attractions of Jambay Lhakang Drup
 Enjoying traditional dance, music and other cultural
celebrations

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 Enjoy unique local blessing like naked dance, fire blessing and
others
 Explore Jambay Lhakhang temple during the festival

4. Punakha Drubchen:-
This festival is a re-enactment of 17
th
century battle of Bhutan
against Tibet. The local militiamen of Bhutan dress up as either
parties of the war and re-enact the war. This festival is celebrated to
remember the bravery of small Bhutan villages, who came forward
to drive away the Tibetan army. Punakha Tshechu festival is
celebrated immediately after this celebration. Tourists are not
generally allowed to be a part of this enactment.

Top festival attractions of Punakha Drubchen
 Explore Punakha Dzong complex
 Take part in Buddhist sermons conducted by the monks

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 Enjoy traditional dances and rituals

5. Haa Summer Festival:-
This festival is famous for two important elements. The first is the
stunning location in which the festival is celebrated. This festival is
celebrated in the lush valley of Haa, where you can enjoy the
colorful culture of nomadic herders. The second element of this
festival is the traditional culture, which is represented by this festival.
Numerous local games are conducted during this festival. Tourists
are also welcome to take part in local games like yak riding, dancing
and others. A grand feast will be conducted during this festival and
it is the best time to enjoy the local cuisine.

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Top festival attractions of Haa Summer Festival
 Watch flower exhibition
 Enjoy folklores in the form of dance and music
 Explore the valley, trek to nearby regions and enjoy the Paro
Town
 Taste the festive cuisine of Bhutan in feasts conducted during
the festival. Also taste the local brew of the region
 Stay at one of the local homes to enjoy the lifestyle of the land
 Shop for artifacts

6. Wangdue Phodrang Tshechu:-
The festival gets its name from the region where it is celebrated,
Wangdue Phodrang. This festival is famous for local songs and
ornamental speeches named Lozeys. This is an annual festival
celebrated since 17
th
century. Numerous tourists visit Bhutan right in
time for this festival to enjoy the Dance of Ox. This dance is said to
ensure a blissful afterlife. You can also find numerous other
celebrations during the three days’ time. The festival ends with
unrolling gigantic religious scrolls.

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Top festival attractions of Wangdue Phodrang Tshechu
 Enjoying traditional dance, music and other cultural
celebrations
 Explore the Phobjikha Valley
 Try the local cuisine and religious ritual

7. Sakteng Festival:-
This is the right time to visit Bhutan for religious trips. This festival is
all about religion. The festival is celebrated in Sakten Valley of
Eastern Bhutan. Locals visit this festival wearing traditional clothing.
The visitors are served with ara, a local wine. You can find numerous
dance performances during this festival. The best of all are the Yak
dance and Ache Lhamo.

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Top festival attractions of Sakteng Festival
 Enjoying traditional dance, music and other cultural
celebrations
 Take part in the merry making with the locals
 Try the local wine and cuisine
8. Matsutake Festival:-
If you are a foodie, this is the right festival for you. This is the food
festival of Bhutan, which attracts numerous tourists to this region.
During this festival, you can taste numerous rare types of
mushrooms, which are only found in Bhutan. During this festival,
locals and tourists trek through the region to gather mushrooms.
This festival is celebrated in Ura Valley and locals allow tourists to
stay in their home, learn their traditional cooking process, family
recipes and much more.

Rare types of Mushrooms found only in Bhutan

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Top festival attractions of Matsutake Festival
 Trek through the valley to spot mushrooms with locals
 Take part in local celebrations
 Try the local wine and cuisine
9. Gomphu Kora Festival
Date : 14th Mar 2019 – 16th Mar 2019
This festival is celebrated in the eastern part of the country. The
festival gets its name from an ancient meditation cave. It is said that
the deity of Gomphu Kora (name of the region, where the festival is
celebrated), defeated an evil spirit at the very location. You can find
numerous mural paintings of 10
th
to 15
th
century AD. This festival is
celebrated for three days, every year. The locals perform a
circumambulation around the region. It is one of the very sacred
festivals of Bhutan. Locals from different part of the country walk
towards the region, to attend the festival.

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Top festival attractions of Gomphu Kora Festival
 Taste the immortality water, which trickles out of the cave (does
not happen every year)
 Circumambulate during night for a unique experience
 Watch local marriages and other celebrations

10. Merak Tshech
Merak Tshechu is an annual three day festival which celebrated in the
lush Eastern part of Merak Valley. The valley lies 3000m above
average sea level. This festival takes you as close to nature as
possible. You can find a unique culture in this valley. The locals do
not use currency. They make clothes out of wool of yak. This
festival spans for three days and each day is filled with their
traditional dances known as Ache Lhamo, Yak Dance, folk music
performances and others

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REFERENCE



1. SLIDESHARE

2. TRAVELOGY

3. WIKEPEDIA

4. TRAVELTRIANGLE.IN










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