Punakha Tshechu – Pelyang Boutique

One of the biggest festivals in the Bhutanese calendar, the Punakha Tshechu is held every year, sometime in February or March. The most important display during the five-day festival is the re-enactment of the Tibetan invasion of Bhutan in 1639. In this theatrical display, a mock throwing of a relic to the Mochu River is dramatized along with a group performance by more than a hundred people dressed as warriors, popularly known as “Pazaps.”.

This performance tells the story of 17th century Bhutan, when the Bhutanese were under siege by Tibetan forces. Devoid of a standing army of its own, the duty to hold the Fort fell on the local militiamen called “Pazaps”, from the eight great villages (Tshogchens) of Thimphu. The invaders were routed. To celebrate the victory, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal introduced the Punakha Drubchen. The 17th century scene is re-enacted during the Drubchen with local men dressed as “Pazaps”.