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- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan festivals · 2027 guide
Prakhar Duchhoed 2027: a family temple's festival in Chhume
Three days of masked dances at Prakhar Lhakhang, a temple founded by a grandson of Pema Lingpa. Expected on 15 to 17 November 2027.
- 15 to 17 November 2027
- Prakhar Lhakhang, Chhume
- Pema Lingpa lineage
15 to 17 Nov
Expected dates in 2027
3
Days of the festival
2,700 m
Approximate altitude of Chhume
1 h
Drive from Jakar
About the festival
A temple built where two rivers meet
Prakhar Lhakhang stands in the Chhume valley, the westernmost of Bumthang’s valleys. It was founded by Tenpe Nyima, a grandson of Terton Pema Lingpa, who was guided by prophecy to build it where two rivers meet. Local legend says white monkeys helped build it at night, which may explain the name, often linked to the word for monkey.
The Prakhar Duchhoed is a three-day festival honouring Thukse Dawa Gyeltshen, son of Pema Lingpa, with masked dances in the temple courtyard. It is a village festival with a strong sense of family tradition, and it overlaps with the Jambay Lhakhang Drup, so you can see a small festival and a large one in the same visit to Bumthang.
- Founded by Pema Lingpa's grandson
- Honours Thukse Dawa Gyeltshen
- Overlaps with Jambay Lhakhang Drup
Festival facts
Prakhar Duchhoed 2027 at a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates in 2027 | 15 to 17 November 2027 |
| Venue | Prakhar Lhakhang, Chhume |
| District | Bumthang (central Bhutan) |
| Altitude | About 2,700 m |
| Getting there | About 1 hour from Jakar, near Nimalung in Chhume |
| Weather | Clear, cold November days |
| Nearby | Nimalung Dratshang, Domkhar and the yathra weavers of Chhume |
| 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 Prakhar Duchhoed
Masked dances
Cham in the Prakhar courtyard.
Prakhar Lhakhang
A three-storey temple of the Pema Lingpa line.
Chhume families
A close-knit local crowd.
Yathra cloth
Woollen weaving from the Chhume valley.
River confluence
The temple where two rivers meet.
Autumn harvest
Buckwheat fields in late autumn.
History and meaning
About Prakhar
The Pema Lingpa family
Pema Lingpa’s descendants founded several temples in Bumthang, and Prakhar is one of the most important. The festival honours Thukse Dawa Gyeltshen, Pema Lingpa’s son, whose line continues in the region today.
The temple
Prakhar Lhakhang is a three-storey building with a fine collection of statues and paintings. Ask your guide to show you the upper floors if they are open during the festival.
Planning
How to plan your visit
Combine it with
Spend one day at Prakhar and the rest at the Jambay Lhakhang Drup, which runs from 14 to 17 November. Stay in Jakar or in Chhume, which has a few good lodges.
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 Prakhar Duchhoed
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.
Prakhar Duchhoed: questions
Expected on 15 to 17 November 2027 at Prakhar Lhakhang.
Tenpe Nyima, a grandson of Terton Pema Lingpa.
Yes. The two festivals overlap in 2027.
No. Bhutanese festivals are free. You attend with your licensed guide, who also explains the dances.
The Department of Tourism lists 15 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 Prakhar Duchhoed 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).
