Women in traditional dress at the Paro Tshechu Festival in Bhutan

Patterns from the past. Paro Tsechu Festival in Bhutan

Get ready for a festival like no other—the Paro Tshechu of Bhutan—where drums echo, prayer flags flutter, and masked dancers take center stage. One of Bhutan's annual religious festivals, which are known as tshechus, it is a vibrant showcase of Vajrayana Buddhist heritage. The celebration begins on the 10th day of the second lunar month, which typically falls in March or April. This year, the festival kicks off today and concludes on April 12.