To explore the distinct Buddhist culture of the Himalayan kingdoms, the best choice is to visit Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet on a trip. The Bhutan Nepal Tibet Tour offers travelers a panorama of the Buddhist pilgrimage, the Himalayan valleys, and magnificent mountains.
Known as “the last Shangri La in South Asia”, Bhutan is blessed with captivating landscapes and tranquil lifestyles. Dotted with countless monasteries, possesses a unique civilization, traveling on this land will change your spirit. In Nepal, you will be impressed by ancient temples, elegant pagodas, exquisite stone carving, and exotic costumes in Kathmandu Valley. In Tibet, you can pay a visit to sacred monasteries, tranquil pastures, snow-capped mountains, and turquoise lakes. Feast your eyes on this mysterious land to your heart’s content.
You can also customize your tour to these fabulous destinations, starting from any of the three, such as the Nepal Bhutan Tibet tour, Nepal Tibet Bhutan tour, or Tibet Nepal Bhutan tour. Great Tibet Tour provides a one-stop service so you can focus 100% on enjoying your trip without worrying about your Tibet Travel Permit, Bhutan visa, local transport, tickets, and hotels, and so on.
Nepal Festival Celebrations
Dashain(Nepalese: दशैंDaśãi, also Baḍādaśãiबदशैं) is a 15-day Nepalese festival, similar to the Chinese Spring Festival. The Nepal Festival Dashain is the largest and longest festival in Nepal. It is held every year in June of the Nepalese calendar (from September to October in the Gregorian calendar). In 2021, Dashain falls on Oct. 13th.
The festival lasts for fifteen days, and the most important days are the first, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth days. The night of the ninth day is called the “Night of Dashain”. The tenth day is called “the 10th day of victory.” The public holidays are usually 7 days. All government offices, educational institutions, and other departments will remain closed during the holiday season.
In addition, Dashain is also a happy time for family gatherings as it’s just before the autumn harvest when Nepalese celebrate the fertility of the land and the harvest of the year. Therefore this festival is also considered to have the effect of emphasizing family reunion and alleviating social conflicts.
Grand Festivals in Bhutan
Festivals in Bhutan can be divided into three categories: traditional festivals, non-religious festivals, and religious festivals. Except for the National Day, the King’s Birthday, and the ascension of the throne, most festivals of Bhutan are calculated according to the Bhutanese calendar. Therefore, festivals in Bhutan have different dates on the Gregorian calendar every year.
The festival of Bhutan is colorful and mainly celebrates religious events. Bhutan Tshechu festival is the most distinctive and solemn Buddhist festival. Celebrations held in various Bhutan places such as Paro, Punakha, and Thimphu, etc. to commemorate Guru Padmasambhava. Tsechu Festival has spiritual connotations, and the perception of spiritual power can be evoked by mask dances. Through it, you can gain insight into Tibetan Buddhism and Bhutan traditions. The Cham Dance is one of the most famous dance rituals of the Punakha Tshechu Festival.
Tsechu Festival’s main feature is Cham dance(religious ceremonial dance), which is Bhutan famous dance – a lively masked and costumed dance in Buddhist festivals. Dancers usually wear wooden masks representing animals, terrifying gods, and various manifestations of Padmasambhava. The most distinctive mask represents the expression of anger shown by Padmasambhava in order to tame harmful gods.
Mask dances are performed by monks and ordinary believers. They wear Bhutan traditional masks and costumes. They use dances to depict events in the life of the Buddhist monk Padmasambhava, mainly describing the victory of good over evil. Bhutanese believe that by watching the dance, they can be blessed, enlightened, and purified.
This unique event is held in February when it’s warm in Punakha Valley. The highlight is the grand performance of a 17th-century battle, where hundreds of warriors led by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal defeated the Tibetan invasion. That’s also the origin of Punakha Drubchen. Bhutan festival is organized according to the Bhutanese calendar, so it may start in March.
There are numerous grand festivals held in Tibet every year, such as Tibetan New Year, Shoton Festival, Saga Dawa Festival… During the holidays in Tibet, it is the best time for tourists to experience Tibetan culture.
The main Tibetan festivals have strong religious characteristics. No matter what kind of festivals, they are closely related to Tibetan Buddhism. Activities such as pilgrimage, sacrificial offerings, prayers, and unfolding Buddhism images have penetrated into various holidays in Tibet. Nowadays, with the progress of the times and the continuous development of Tibet’s tourism industry, the entertainment component of Tibetan holidays is becoming more and more intense. But no matter how it changes, during the festival of Tibet, it’s the best time to explore local traditions and customs.
Great Tibet Tour has sorted out Tibetan Festivals in 2021. Check the following calendar and start your dreamy festival tours of Tibet!
