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- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan festivals · 2027 guide
Thangbi Mewang 2027: jumping through fire in Bumthang
A two-day festival at Thangbi Lhakhang with a fire blessing, masked dances and village traditions. Expected on 15 to 16 October 2027.
- 15 to 16 October 2027
- Thangbi Lhakhang, Bumthang
- Fire blessing
15 to 16 Oct
Expected dates in 2027
1470
Year Thangbi Lhakhang was built
2
Days of the festival
15 min
Drive north of Jakar
About the festival
A fire blessing for the year
Thangbi Lhakhang stands in fields north of Jakar, in the Chhoekhor valley of Bumthang. It was built in 1470, traditionally credited to the Fourth Shamar Rinpoche of the Karmapa line, and was later taken over by followers of Pema Lingpa. Each autumn it holds the Thangbi Mani, whose most famous moment is the mewang, or fire blessing.
On the opening evening, a procession leads from the temple to an open field where gomchens, lay priests, light a gate of fire. Villagers and visitors run or jump through the flames, which is believed to protect against bad luck in the year ahead. The festival continues with masked dances in the courtyard, including the dance of the protector Black Mahakala, and village customs such as offering chang and buckwheat noodles to guests.
- A fire blessing on the first day
- Masked dances in an old temple
- Village customs and hospitality
Festival facts
Thangbi Mewang 2027 at a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates in 2027 | 15 to 16 October 2027 |
| Venue | Thangbi Lhakhang, Chhoekhor |
| District | Bumthang (central Bhutan) |
| Altitude | About 2,700 m |
| Getting there | About 15 minutes' drive north of Jakar |
| Fire blessing | Usually on the evening that opens the festival; check the time with your guide |
| Nearby | Kurjey, Tamshing, Jambay Lhakhang and Ngang Lhakhang |
| Entry | Free and open to visitors with a licensed guide; the SDF and visa rules apply as on any day |
Dates follow the Department of Tourism’s tentative festival list for 2027 and the lunar calendar. They can shift by a day or two, so we confirm them before you book flights.
What you will see
Highlights of Thangbi Mewang
The mewang
A gate of fire villagers run through for blessing.
Masked dances
Including the dance of Black Mahakala.
Thangbi Lhakhang
A temple founded in 1470.
Village offerings
Chang and buckwheat noodles offered to guests.
Villagers
The whole valley turns out.
Autumn harvest
Buckwheat fields around the temple.
History and meaning
About Thangbi
The temple
Thangbi Lhakhang dates from 1470. Its founding is traditionally credited to the Fourth Shamar Rinpoche, Chokyi Drakpa, of the Karma Kagyu school, and it later passed to the Nyingma followers of Pema Lingpa. The temple holds statues of the Buddhas of past, present and future.
The fire blessing
Mewang means fire blessing. Gomchens perform purification rites before lighting the fire, and those who pass through it three times are said to be protected from misfortune for the year. Only go through if you feel comfortable; watching is perfectly fine.
Planning
How to plan your visit
An October in Bumthang
Thangbi follows the Tamshing Phala Chhoepa on 10 to 12 October, so a few days in Bumthang can cover both. Stay in Jakar and visit the temples of the Chhoekhor valley between festival days.
Etiquette
How to behave at a Bhutanese festival
Festivals are religious events first, so dress as you would for a temple: long sleeves and long trousers or a long skirt, and no hats inside the dzong or temple. Never walk across the dance ground, even when it looks empty between dances. Photography is usually allowed from the edges without flash, but some rituals and inner temples are off limits; your guide will tell you when to put the camera away. Ask before taking close-up portraits.
Arrive early for a good spot, bring water, a hat and a cushion or mat, and expect to be teased by the atsaras, the masked clowns who keep the crowd in order. If someone offers you food or a cup of tea, it is polite to accept. Our guide to Bhutanese festivals explains the dances in more detail.
Trips
Build a trip around Thangbi Mewang
Every trip is private, so we can time it to the festival dates and add the places nearby.
Before you go
Travel rules for 2027
Every visitor except Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals needs a visa, which costs USD 40 and is arranged by your tour operator. The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027; children under 6 pay nothing and children aged 6 to 12 pay half. Indian visitors pay INR 1,200 per night. Tourists travel with a licensed guide beyond the first checkpoint and stay in certified hotels or homestays.
The SDF does not change during festival weeks, but hotel rooms near popular festivals fill early. See our visa and SDF guide and Bhutan travel rules.
Thangbi Mewang: questions
Expected on 15 to 16 October 2027 at Thangbi Lhakhang.
A fire blessing: people pass through a gate of fire to be protected from bad luck.
No. Many simply watch; it is your choice.
No. Bhutanese festivals are free. You attend with your licensed guide, who also explains the dances.
The Department of Tourism lists 15 to 16 October 2027 as the tentative 2027 dates. Lunar dates are occasionally adjusted, so we reconfirm before you book flights.
More festivals
Other festivals around the same time
See Thangbi Mewang in 2027
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check the festival date, hold hotels nearby and send a day-by-day plan with one price that includes the SDF, visa, guide and car.
Photo credits, via Wikimedia Commons: Jakar Dzong above the Chamkhar valley in Bumthang (Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0); Jambay Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan (Arian Zwegers, CC BY 2.0).
