Paro tsechu, Bhutan

Every March, monks in bright and often fearsome costumes perform a series of dances over five days to the sound of flutes, cymbals, and trumpets, cheered on by Bhutanese families dressed in their finest traditional clothing. The festival honors Guru Padmasambhava, a Buddhist teacher and guide, and the dances tell stories from his life, depicting a host of gods and demons and the triumph of joy and religion over evil. It all culminates on the final day with the unrolling, at dawn, of the elaborate silk Thangka, a vast religious scroll from which worshipers seek a blessing.

ABOVE Buddhist monks carrying offerings in honor of Guru Padmasambhava during Paro Tsechu, Bhutan RIGHT An extravagantly costumed dancer at the spirited samba celebrations of Boi-Bumbá, Brazil
ABOVE Buddhist monks carrying offerings in honor of Guru Padmasambhava during Paro Tsechu, Bhutan RIGHT An extravagantly costumed dancer at the spirited samba celebrations of Boi-Bumbá, Brazil

Tshechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place. Tshechus are religious festivals of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Wikipedia

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