Jambay Lhakhang Drub

Jambay Lhakhang Drub

Jambay Lhakhang Drub is one of the most unique festivals of Bhutan. Most popularly due to the two unique portions of the festival namely - i) The Tercham or Naked Dance and ii) Mewang or the Fire Offering.

Time of Jambay Lhakhang Drub

The Jambay Lhakhang Drub or the Jambay Lhakhang Consecration festival is held every year on the full moon (the 15th day) of the 9th Lunar Bhutanese month which generally falls between late October and early November according to the Gregorian calendar.

Venue: Jambay Lhakhang, Bumthang

The festival is held at one of the most ancient temples of Bhutan- Jambay Lhakhang in central Bhutan, Bumthang.

History on Jambay Lhakhang

The construction of the temple dates back to the 7th century. It was built by the Tibetan Emperor Songtsen Gampo in his mission to build 108 such temples over the Himalayan region to spread Buddhism. Legend has it that the 108 temples were built in a single day through the supernatural power of the Songtsen Gampo who is believed to be an emanation of Avalokiteshvara (Compassion Boddhisatva). The reason for building the temples was to pin down a giant ogress that was blocking the spread of the Dharma beyond the borders. The Jambay Lhakhang enshrines the statue of Jo Jampa/Jambay, the future Buddha Maitreya as the main relic. Thus, the name of the temple has been derived as Jambay Lhakhang which means the temple of the Maitreya. 

The Jambay Lhakhang Drub or Jambay Lhakhang Festival

Jambay Lhakhang Drub literally translates as the “consecration of the Jambay Temple”. This is an unusual practice, as consecration is usually done only once after the completion of the construction of the new temple. Whereas, the consecration for Jambay Lhakhang is done every year on the full moon of the 9th Bhutanese month. The origin of the Jambay Lhakhang Drub is still unclear as there are two popular beliefs and assertation by historians. The first one is that it was introduced was during the 7th century when the temple was constructed and the other one was by Terton Dorji Lingpa during the 14th century. Despite the origin, the festival is gaining much attention and attracting a high number of people and tourists.

A variety of traditional mask dances are performed such as the Gomazhi, Tre Ging, Tsho cham, Dance of Nyulema, etc. but the most talked-about part of the festival is the Naked Dance and the Mewang, both of which take place at night on the full moon. People believe that their obstacles will be burnt away by successfully passing through the Fire Offering in the form of an arch that is located outdoor.

If you are in Bhutan and happen to travel to central Bhutan- Bumthang; be sure to check if you can coincide the vacation with Jambay Lhakhang Drub or any other festivals. Please check our festival calendar.