The Buddhist festivals or Tshechu are one of the prime examples of the living culture of Bhutan that many have come to admire and treasure. There are numerous festivals celebrated in Bhutan both secular and religious ones. The most important are a joyful expression of its culture – and largely inspired by Buddhism.
The Tshechu – or the masked dance festivals – is a rare occasion and a living testimony to the country’s ancient past. These festival which honours the memory of Guru Rinpoche who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 7th century. They are held in every district (often in the Dzongs) annually on the tenth day of the particular month in the Bhutanese calendar. As it has happened for centuries, people continue to converge at festivals both to pursue their spiritual practice, and to participate in the community event. The Tshechu is a place to see and be seen.

Tshechus are also an important social event for the Bhutanese. People come dressed in their finest. Women wear their most beautiful jewelry, families pack their best food for lunch, men and women joke and exchange tales, and children crane their necks to catch a sight of the day-long dances.Besides the dancers and musicians,a key character at the Tshechu is the atsara.These clowns who wear dramatically expressive masks with big red noses and are an indispensable element in the otherwise solemn and sometimes tedious ceremony.Their exaggerated gestures and irreverent jokes provide comic relief when the audience gets restive and only they are allowed to confront the monks and mock the religion.They are actually treated with great respect as they believed to be representatives of the ancient acharyas-the sanskrit word for religious teachers.our recommendation is that if you haven't been to Tshechu(festival),plan your trip so that you can experience this unique event