- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan festivals · 2027 guide
Jambay Lhakhang Drup 2027: Bumthang's fire festival
Four days of dances at one of Bhutan’s oldest temples, with the mewang fire blessing and a midnight ritual dance. Expected on 14 to 17 November 2027.
- 14 to 17 November 2027
- Jambay Lhakhang, Bumthang
- Fire blessing
14 to 17 Nov
Expected dates in 2027
659
Traditional founding year of the temple
4
Days of the festival
10 min
Drive from Jakar
About the festival
Fire and blessings at an ancient temple
Jambay Lhakhang is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. Tradition says the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo built it in 659 as one of 108 temples raised to subdue a demoness. It stands in the Chhoekhor valley a short drive from Jakar, and every autumn it hosts the Jambay Lhakhang Drup, one of Bumthang’s best-loved festivals.
The highlight is the mewang, a fire blessing in which a gate of burning straw is lit and crowds run beneath it to be cleansed of misfortune. Late at night, a sacred dance called the tercham is performed by masked dancers as a ritual of purification. Over the following days there are masked dances in the temple courtyard and huge crowds from across central Bhutan.
- The mewang fire blessing
- A sacred midnight dance
- At a temple founded in 659
Festival facts
Jambay Lhakhang Drup 2027 at a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates in 2027 | 14 to 17 November 2027 |
| Venue | Jambay Lhakhang, Chhoekhor |
| District | Bumthang (central Bhutan) |
| Altitude | About 2,650 m |
| Getting there | About 10 minutes from Jakar |
| Fire blessing | Held on the evening that opens the festival; ask your guide for the time |
| Accommodation | Jakar hotels fill early in November; book months ahead |
| 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 Jambay Lhakhang Drup
The mewang
Crowds pass under a burning gate for blessing.
The tercham
A sacred ritual dance late at night.
Masked dances
Cham in the temple courtyard.
Jambay Lhakhang
A temple traditionally dated to 659.
Big crowds
Families from across central Bhutan.
Fair stalls
Food and games around the temple.
History and meaning
About Jambay Lhakhang
One of 108 temples
The story of Songtsen Gampo pinning down a demoness with 108 temples is told across the Himalaya. In Bhutan, Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang and Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro are both said to be among them. Jambay Lhakhang holds a statue of Jampa, the future Buddha, which gives the temple its name.
Photography and etiquette
The tercham is a sacred ritual, and photography is not allowed during it. Follow your guide’s instructions carefully. For the fire blessing, stand where your guide suggests and only pass under the gate if you feel comfortable.
Planning
How to plan your visit
A November festival trip
Pair Jambay Lhakhang Drup with the Prakhar Duchhoed in Chhume on 15 to 17 November and the Jakar Tshechu a week earlier. The Black-necked Crane Festival on 11 November fits on the drive east.
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 Jambay Lhakhang Drup
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.
Jambay Lhakhang Drup: questions
Expected on 14 to 17 November 2027.
A fire blessing: people run under a burning gate to be cleansed of bad luck.
No. Photography is not allowed during the tercham.
No. Bhutanese festivals are free. You attend with your licensed guide, who also explains the dances.
The Department of Tourism lists 14 to 17 November 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 Jambay Lhakhang Drup 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: Jambay Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan (Arian Zwegers, CC BY 2.0); Jakar Dzong above the Chamkhar valley in Bumthang (Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0).
