The Attraction: The attraction of anything in Bhutan is pretty obvious. The country is fabulously beautiful - green and lush with incredible mountains. Then there's there culture. Having been closed to the outside world for centuries, Bhutan is an exotic and fascinating place. The Paro Tsechu festival with its drama and dance is an expression of that exotic culture. The festival is a part of Bhutan's unique brand of Buddhism and being present for the final day of the festival thongdrel (a large religious picture) is reveal allows visitors to make great amounts of merit for themselves and, thus, build good karma..

What is a Tsechu?: A tsechu is a sacred festival. Literally translated the word means "day ten." Each district in Bhutan has its own tsechu. Paro is the home of Bhutan's only international airport. The town of about 20,000 people is 40 miles from the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu. The Paro Tsechu is one of the biggest such Tibetan Buddhist festivals in the world, now that the tsechu are banned by the Chinese government in Tibet itself. The dances here re-enact the life of Buddha, the history of Bhutan, and the lives of Buddhist leaders who were important to Bhutan, especially Padmasambhava (a ninth century Nyingmapa school teacher).

What is the Nyingmapa school?: Nyingmapa is the oldest of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It traces itself back to the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet, around 760 AD. But the term "Nyingmapa" wasn't coined until the 12th Century when the religion became more diverse. Tibetan Buddhism has practitioners in Bhutan, Ladakh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim; in the Tibet and neighboring Chinese provinces like Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan where ethnic Tibetans live; and in parts of northern Asia like the Buryat, Tuva and Kalmyk minority districts of Siberian Russia, Mongolia, and northeastern China's Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces.

The Events: The five-day festival can be broken up into a preparation day, a day of opening ceremonies at Paro Dzong (the old fortress that serves as both the religious and administrative center of a district), followed by three days of dance and drama to re-enact the history of Buddhism in Bhutan. At dawn on the final day of the festival the thongdrel (a large religious picture) is revealed and Bhutanese citizens believe that seeing this picture bestows merit upon them. The picture is displayed for a few hours.

The Dances: The dances and dramas performed during the last three days of the festival are purported to be perfect re-enactments of events from Buddhist history and the history of Bhutan. Costumes are elaborate and many of the dancers and actors wear carved wooden masks.

Attending the Festival: Bhutan's tourism policy is very restrictive. The only way to get into Bhutan is through a tour operator licensed by the government of Bhutan. You travel agent can help you contact such a tour operator.

Source: goasia.about.com