When it happens
Gasa Tshechu is held in spring. It usually falls in late March, occasionally sliding into early April.
The festival is usually described as lasting three to four days.
The first day traditionally takes place at Phu Lhakhang, described as the festival’s original site.
Where it happens
The festival is held in the Drasha courtyard of Gasa Dzong, where the mask and highland dances are staged.
The dzong (fortress) stands above 2,800 m in Bhutan’s remote northwest. Its formal name is Tashi Thongmon Dzong, said to be named after its protective deity of the same name. The dzong has a distinctive circular layout with three watchtowers.
The dzong is the gateway to Laya and the starting point for the Laya–Gasa and Snowman treks.
History
The dzong’s construction is attributed to Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the 1640s, above the meditation cave of the Tibetan saint Terkhungpa. The name Gasa joins “Ga” (blacksmith) and “sa” (land), after Terkhungpa’s smithing.
According to tradition, the guardian Gomo emerged from a nearby lake as a snake and bound the dzong when Tibetans attacked it with firearms.
The current Gasa Tshechu is reported to have begun in 2002.
Dances and rituals
The festival’s signature act is the Goen-Zhey, a classical dance performed by a group of twenty-one men from Goen Gewog (Khatoed and Khamaed).
The highland community of Laya takes part in the festival. Laya women perform highland songs and folk dances in traditional attire, alongside the cham (sacred masked dances).
The festival is reported to need at least eighty people across its dances, including the mask dances and the dances of Laya, and to have faced a shortage of mask dancers.
Being there
Gasa town sits at roughly 2,700–2,800 m and is described as among Bhutan’s most remote and quiet destinations. The approach is a rough feeder road north of Punakha.
The Gasa Tshachu (hot springs) on the banks of the Mo Chhu are the area’s main companion attraction, and their waters are believed to have healing properties. Improved road access now serves the springs, and nearby guesthouses can be booked ahead.
The Mo Chhu is reported to have broken its bank in August 2021 and washed the ponds away. The springs are reported to have reopened in October 2023 after major reconstruction, with eight public ponds and two VIP ponds.