The five-day annual Tsechu of Dagana ends tomorrow. The festival is held from 11th to 15th of the 11th Bhutanese month every year.
But the Dagana Rabdey is seeking to come up with new dates for the dzongkhag’s annual Tshechu. It wants to hold the Tshechu either in the ninth or the second Bhutanese months.
Not many people coming to attend the festival is among the reasons for the proposed change.
The Rabdey Lam Neten, Tshering Penjore, said during the usual Tshechu timing, not many people are around.
That’s because schools close for winter vacation and many people go on pilgrimage. Some residents go to their hometowns for annual puja. As a result, the crowd at the Tshechu is not so big.
The Lam Neten says this time of the year is also dry and dusty. “Days are also shorter and it’s difficult to perform all mask dances and other programmes,” he said.
“We are proposing the Tsechu to be moved to the ninth Bhutanese month coinciding with the Tsepamey Drupchen, or the second month coinciding with Trelda Tshechu.”
The Lam Neten added the proposed months are appropriate culturally as well as religiously.
The Dagana public received the proposal with mixed feelings.
“Around this time, the days are shorter and we have to rush. There is not enough time for proper rituals and mask dances. I agree it would be convenient to hold the Tshechu when the days are longer,” Dhendup from Khebisa said.
Draow Dorji from Tseza is among the people who are not very keen about the proposed change.
“I would suggest keeping things as it is,” he said.
Draow Dorji is afraid changing Tshechu dates would bring bad luck and other undesirable things in the dzongkhag.
The Vice Principal of Daga Central School, Phub Wangdi, said it would benefit the students if the Tsechu is held before the schools close.
“Our students would be able to witness and understand the festival better,” he said.
The annual Tsechu ends tomorrow with the unfurling of Tenpai Thongdrel.
The Dagana Tsechu is believed to have been instituted in 1681, 29 years after the completion of Daga Trashi Yangtse Dzong in 1652.
