Thimphu Drubchen
The capital's quieter ritual, danced before the great tshechu begins.
A single day of protector dances at Tashichho Dzong, older and more austere than the tshechu that follows days later.
Days before Thimphu Tshechu fills the capital, the Drubchen honours Palden Lhamo, the protector deity, with dances performed by the monastic body alone. It is the more solemn of the capital’s two festivals — fewer visitors, a darker and older register of cham, and for many Bhutanese the more spiritually significant of the pair.
Guests timing a September journey can take both: the Drubchen’s austerity first, the Tshechu’s full pageantry after — the complete grammar of Bhutanese festival in one week.
Plan your time around Thimphu Drubchen
Tell us a moment or a feeling you are seeking. We will design a private journey around Thimphu Drubchen — with the days before and after pitched to match.
Plan your private journey