Chorten Kora Tsechu

Venue: Chorten Kora, Trashiyangtse district.
Other places: Western, Central and Eastern Bhutan.
Entry: Paro
Exit: Guwahati, Assam, India

One can enter and exit from either Guwahati or Paro. If you enter from Paro, you will travel from the west to the east and leave from Guwahati. It will be the reverse if you enter from Guwahati. One can also decide to enter from Guwahati, watch the Tsechu and exit from Guwahati.

This is a different Tsechu and circumambulation pervades.

At the centre of the Tsechu stands sacrifice and honour, which are the essences of this festival. The Tsechu is held in reverence to a pious Dakini Princess of the Dakpa tribe from neighboring Arunachal Pradesh, a district in India.

It is said that during the construction of the stupa (Chorten) there, the princess offered to entomb herself alive, as the Yeshe Semba, to meditate on behalf of all beings. Chorten Kora festival is a tribute to this ultimate sacrifice.

Of the two major circumambulation events, the first is the Dakpa Kora (circumambulation of the Chorten by the Dakpas, which is held on the 15th day of the first lunar month. This is followed by the Drukpa Kora (circumambulation of the Chorten by the Bhutanese).

A modern Bhutanese movie has been made based on the story.