Visit the right festival in Bhutan

Religion plays a hugely important role in Bhutan and is therefore closely woven into every aspect of the culture. As religious as they are colourful are the many festivals that take place in all parts of the country. Festivals are traditionally organised for various reasons: to propitiate weather or mountain gods, in honour of women, for a successful harvest, to drive away evil spirits and so on. The festivities are accompanied by religious ceremonies, speeches and, most interesting to the outsider, masked dances. These 'chams', as they are called locally, are splashy and fiery spectacles, a feast for the eyes. Also fun: all the Bhutanese attend the festivals in their Sunday attire and are happy to answer your questions about the scenes you see.

More important festivals are called Tsechus, often held in a city's main religious edifice, in the courtyard of the dzong (main monastery). Small(er) festivals are called Drubchen, Kora or Kuchoed. The festivals take place according to the Buddhist calendar, so at different times each year. Most take place in our spring (March - May) and autumn (October - November) and scattered across the country.