Tshechu

{{redirect|Tsechu|Tsechu in Arunachal Pradesh|Chumi Gyatse Falls}}

File:Dance of the Black Hats with Drums, Paro Tsechu 4.jpg, April 2006]]

File:Dance of the Black Hats with Drums, Paro Tsechu 5.jpg

A tshechu ({{langx|dz|ཚེས་བཅུ།}}, literally "tenth day") is any of the 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.

Tshechus are large social gatherings, which perform the function of social bonding among people of remote and spread-out villages. Large markets also congregate at the fair locations, leading to brisk commerce.[http://portal.unesco.org/culture/fr/file_download.php/93012f1857c2e04571e63ffeeaf409d2dobson.pdf Dancing on the demon's back: the dramnyen dance and song of Bhutan]{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}, by Elaine Dobson, John Blacking Symposium: Music

Culture and Society, Callaway Centre, University of Western Australia, July 2003 The Thimphu tshechu and the Paro tshechu are among the biggest of the tshechus in terms of participation and audience. They are related to traditions in other branches of Himalayan Buddhism, many of which have been banned in Tibet.{{cite book|last1=Brockman|first1=Norbert C.|title=Encyclopedia of Sacred Places|date=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara|isbn=9781598846553|page=565|edition=2nd}}

File:Tshechu Compilation-Oct2013.webm

Tshechu traditions

The focal point of the tshechus are Cham dances. These costumed, masked dances typically are moral vignettes, or based on incidents from the life of the 9th century Nyingma teacher Padmasambhava and other saints. Typically, monks perform unmasked in certain group dances, including the Black Hat dance, while laymen perform masked, in largely different plays. The monks are generally very precise in their movement, while some roles played by laymen involve considerable athleticism (such as the leaping dog shown below, who repeats this move over and over again). Groups of women perform songs, with limited dance movements, in between the plays.

Most tshechus also feature the unfurling of a thongdrel - a large appliqué thangka typically depicting a seated Padmasambhava surrounded by holy beings, the mere viewing of which is said to cleanse the viewer of sin. The thongdrel is raised before dawn and rolled down by morning.

Because tshechus depend on the availability of masked dancers, registered dancers are subject to fine if they refuse to perform during festivals.{{cite web |url=http://www.bhutanobserver.bt/reluctant-mask-dancers/ |title=Reluctant Mask Dancers |publisher=Bhutan Observer online |first=Gembo |last=Namgyal |date=2010-10-28 |accessdate=2012-01-28 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004172325/http://www.bhutanobserver.bt/reluctant-mask-dancers/ |archivedate=2012-10-04 }}

History of Tshechus

Image:Tsechu cham.jpg tshechu]]

Padmasambhava, the great scholar, visited Tibet and Bhutan in the 8th century and 9th century. He used to convert opponents of Buddhism by performing rites, reciting mantras and finally performing a dance of subjugation to conquer local spirits and gods. He visited Bhutan to aid the dying king Sindhu Raja. Padmasambhava performed a series of such dances in the Bumthang Valley to restore the health of the king. The grateful king helped spread Buddhism in Bhutan. Padmasambhava organized the first tshechu in Bumthang, where the eight manifestations of Padmasambhava were presented through eight forms of dances. These became the Cham dances depicting the glory of Padmasambhava.

Schedule

The dance schedule for each day of the four-day festival is set out and generally consists of the following dances.

On the first day, the performances cover: Dance of the Four Stags (Sha Tsam); Dance of the Three kinds of Ging (Pelage Gingsum); Dance of the Heroes (Pacham), Dance of the Stags and Hounds (Shawo Shachi) and Dance with Guitar (Dranyeo Cham)
On the second day the dances performed are: The Black Hat Dance (Shana), Dance of the 21 black hats with drums (Sha nga ngacham), Dance of the Noblemen and the Ladies (Pholeg Moleg), Dance of the Drums from Dramitse (Dramitse Ngacham), Dance of the Noblemen and the Ladies (Pholeg Moleg) and Dance of the Stag and Hounds (Shawa Shachi)
On the third day, the dances performed are: Dance of the Lords of the Cremation Grounds (Durdag), Dance of the Terrifying Deities (Tungam) and Dance of the Rakshas and the Judgement of the Dead (Ragsha Mangcham)
On the last day of the festival, the dances performed cover: Dance of Tamzhing Monastery in Jakar, Dance of the Lords of the Cremation grounds (the same dance as day 3), Dance of the Ging and Tsoling (Ging Dang Tsoling) and Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava (Guru Tshen Gye).

The last day of the four-day festival also marks the unfurling of the Thongdrel, a very large scroll painting or thangka, which is unfurled with intense religious fervour, early in the morning. This painting measuring {{convert|30|m|ft}}×{{convert|45|m|ft}} has the images of Padmasambhava at the centre flanked by his two consorts and also his eight incarnations. Devotees who gather to witness this occasion offer obeisance in front of the Thongdrel seeking blessings. Folk dances are performed on the occasion. Before sunrise, the painting is rolled up and kept in the Dzong before it is displayed again one year later.Palin, pp. 269–270

List of tshechus

Below is a list of major tshechus in Bhutan, along with their 2011 dates. Dates in other years will vary.

scope="col" width="30%" \| Date ! scope="col" width="35%" \| Tsechu ! scope="col" width="35%" \| Location
class="wikitable sortable" style="width:50%;" \|+ Bhutan tshechu dates (2011){{cite web\|url=http://www.windhorsetours.com/festivals/festival_dates.php?country=bhutan \|title=Festival Dates \|publisher=Windhorse Tours, Treks & Expeditions online \|accessdate=2011-07-26}}
data-sort-value="01" \| January 2–04	Trongsa Tshechu	Trongsa
data-sort-value="01" \| January 2–04	Lhuntse Tshechu	Lhuntse
data-sort-value="01" \| January 2–04	Pemagatshel Tshechu	Pemagatshel
data-sort-value="01" \| January 9	Shingkhar Metochodpa	Bumthang
data-sort-value="01" \| January 9–13	Nabji Lhakhang Drup	Trongsa
data-sort-value="02" \| February 10–15	Punakha Dromache & Tshechu	Punakha
data-sort-value="02" \| February 17–21	Tangsibi Mani	Bumthang
data-sort-value="02" \| February 18	Chorten Kora	Trashiyangtse
data-sort-value="02" \| February 18	Tharpaling Thongdrol	Bumthang
data-sort-value="02" \| February 19–21	Buli Mani Chumey	Bumthang
data-sort-value="02" \| February–March (1st month, 7th day)	Trashiyangtse Tsechu	Trashiyangtse
data-sort-value="03" \| March 4	Chorten Kora (2nd)	Trashiyangtse
data-sort-value="03" \| March 13–15	Gomkora	Trashigang
data-sort-value="03" \| March 13–15	Talo Tshechu	Talo, Punakha
data-sort-value="03" \| March 13–16	Zhemgang Tshechu	Zhemgang
data-sort-value="03" \| March 15–19	Paro Tshechu	Paro
data-sort-value="03" \| March 17–19	Chhukha Tshechu	Chukha
data-sort-value="03" \| October 16–25	Phuentsholing Tshechu	Phuentsholing
data-sort-value="04" \| April 1–03	Gaden Chodpa	Ura, Bumthang
data-sort-value="05" \| May 12–14	Domkhar Festival	Chhume, Bumthang
data-sort-value="05" \| May 14–18	Ura Yakchoe	Ura, Bumthang
data-sort-value="06" \| June 19–21	Padsel–Ling Kuchod	Bumthang
data-sort-value="06" \| June	Laya Bumkhosa Festival (Bongkor)	Laya
data-sort-value="07" \| July 8–10	Nimalung Tshechu	Bumthang
data-sort-value="07" \| July 9–10 does not move	Alpine	Ha, Haa
data-sort-value="07" \| July 10	Kurjey Tshechu	Bumthang
data-sort-value="07" \| July 29	Gangte Kurim	Gangte, Wangdue Phodrang
data-sort-value="10" \| October 1–05	Thimphu Drupchen	Thimphu
data-sort-value="10" \| October 4–06	Wangdue Tshechu	Wangdue Phodrang
data-sort-value="10" \| October 4–06	Gangte Drubchen & Tshechu	Gangte, Wangdue Phodrang
data-sort-value="10" \| October 6–08	Tamshingphala Choepa	Bumthang
data-sort-value="10" \| October 6–08	Gasa Tshechu	District Gasa
data-sort-value="10" \| October 6–08	Thimphu Tshechu	Thimphu
data-sort-value="10" \| October 10–12	Thangbi Mani	Bumthang
data-sort-value="11" \| November 1–05	Shingkhar Rabney	Ura, Bumthang
data-sort-value="11" \| November 3–06	Jakar Tshechu	Jakar, Bumthang
data-sort-value="11" \| November 10–14	Jambay Lakhang Drup	Bumthang
data-sort-value="11" \| November 11–13	Prakhar Duchoed	Bumthang
data-sort-value="11" \| November 12 does not move	Black Necked Crane Festival	Gangte, Wangdue Phodrang
data-sort-value="11" \| November 22–25	Sumdrang Kangsol	Ura, Bumthang
data-sort-value="12" \| December 2–05	Trashigang Tshechu	Trashigang
data-sort-value="12" \| December 2–05	Mongar Tshechu	Mongar
data-sort-value="12" \| December 3–04	Tang Namkha Rabney Tang	Bumthang
data-sort-value="12" \| December 10	Singye Cham, Jambay Lhakhang	Bumthang
data-sort-value="12" \| December 10–12	Nalakhar Tshechu	Bumthang
data-sort-value="12" \| December 10–13	Chojam Rabney Tang	Bumthang