Jambay Lhakhang Drup

Jambay Lhakhang stands in the Chokhor valley of Bumthang, a low white temple among fields and prayer flags. By tradition it is one of 108 temples built in a single day in the 7th century by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, which would make it, with Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro, the oldest in Bhutan. Its festival, the Drup, is held over four days in late autumn.

It is a village festival on a human scale. The dances are performed in a small courtyard, the audience sits a few metres from the dancers, and most of the people watching are farmers from the valley. Two rituals held after dark have made it famous well beyond Bumthang.

The Mewang

The Mewang is a fire blessing. In the evening a tall gateway of dry grass is built on open ground near the temple and set alight, and people run through it while it burns. Passing under the flames is believed to cleanse a person of misfortune, and it is said to bless women who hope for children.

The Tercham

The Tercham is a dance performed at midnight by sixteen men wearing masks and nothing else. It is a sacred dance, not a spectacle, and it is treated as one. Photography and filming are strictly forbidden.

By day

During the day the festival is much like any other tshechu, with masked dances, folk dances and the clowning of the atsaras. Kurjey Lhakhang and Tamshing Lhakhang are a short walk away, and several other Bumthang festivals fall close to the same dates. In 2027 the Prakhar Duchhoed, in the Chumey valley, is listed for 15 to 17 November.

Practical notes

• Bumthang lies at 2,600 m and late-autumn nights fall to freezing or below. For the evening rituals you need a down jacket, hat and gloves.
• Bring a torch for the walk between the road and the temple after dark.
• If you run through the fire gateway, wear cotton or wool, not synthetic fabric, and tie back long hair.
• No photography of the Tercham, and none inside the temple.
• Bumthang has a limited number of hotel rooms, and they fill for the festival.