Paro Rinpung Dzong and Festivals

From the airport towards Paro town there is a traditional wooden bridge, some two kilometres away, called Nyamai Zam, leading towards a huge fortress (dzong) built with stones. It is white washed and is known by the name of Rinpung Dzong. The fortress was built in 1646 AD by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. Earlier it was known as Rinchen Pung Dzong literally meaning “fortress on a heap of jewels.” It is one of the finest example of Bhutanese architecture and it contains fourteen shrines.

The fortress houses the office of the district administration and the court including the monk body. The courtyard inside the fortress is used for Paro Tsechu, a festival conducted in the first day of spring.  It is one of the most important festivals in Bhutan.

 

A great annual festival or tsechu is held at Rinpung Dzong from the eleventh to the fifteenth day of the second month of the traditional Bhutanese lunar calendar (usually in March or April of the Gregorian calendar). On this occasion, holy images are taken in a procession. This is followed by a series of traditional mask dances conveying religious stories which are performed by monks for several days. Before the break of dawn on the morning of the fifteenth day, a great sacred Tongdrol banner depicting the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava)is displayed for the public in the early morning hours, to keep to the tradition of not allowing sunlight to fall on it.

 
To witness the country's most colorful festival