- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan festivals · 2027 guide
Kurjey Tshechu 2027: Guru Rinpoche's birthday at the body-print temple
A one-day festival of masked dances at Kurjey Lhakhang, held on the 10th day of the fifth month, the day Bhutanese celebrate Guru Rinpoche’s birth. Expected on 14 June 2027.
- 14 June 2027
- Kurjey Lhakhang, Bumthang
- One day
14 Jun
Expected date in 2027
1 day
Length of the festival
3
Temples in the Kurjey complex
108
Chortens in the wall around Kurjey
About the festival
A festival at one of Bhutan's holiest sites
Kurjey Lhakhang stands on the bank of the Chamkhar Chhu in the Chhoekhor valley, a short drive from Jakar. The name means body print: the oldest of its three temples is built against the rock where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated in the 8th century and left the imprint of his body. The second temple was added by the first King, and the third by Queen Mother Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck.
The Kurjey Tshechu is held on the 10th day of the fifth Bhutanese month, celebrated across the country as Guru Rinpoche’s birthday. Monks perform masked dances in the courtyard, including the Guru Tshengye, the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche, and pilgrims come from across Bumthang to receive blessings. It is one day, in summer, and very local.
- On Guru Rinpoche's birthday
- At the rock of his body print
- Pairs with Nimalung on the same morning
Festival facts
Kurjey Tshechu 2027 at a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates in 2027 | 14 June 2027 |
| Venue | Kurjey Lhakhang, Chhoekhor |
| District | Bumthang (central Bhutan) |
| Altitude | About 2,650 m |
| Getting there | About 15 minutes by road from Jakar, or a pleasant walk |
| Weather | Early monsoon: showers likely, warm days |
| Nearby | Tamshing Lhakhang across the river, Jambay Lhakhang and Jakar Dzong |
| 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 Kurjey Tshechu
Guru Tshengye
Dances of the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche.
Kurjey temples
Three temples around the sacred rock.
The chorten wall
A ring of 108 small chortens around the complex.
Pilgrims
Families from Bumthang in their best clothes.
Blessings
Prayers on one of the most sacred days of the year.
Summer valley
Green fields along the Chamkhar Chhu.
History and meaning
The meaning of Kurjey
The body print
Bhutanese tradition says Guru Rinpoche came to Bumthang at the invitation of a local king, the Sindhu Raja, who had fallen ill after offending a local deity. The Guru meditated in a cave at Kurjey, subdued the deity and left his body print in the rock. The story is central to how Bhutanese understand the arrival of Buddhism in their country.
Guru Rinpoche's birthday
The 10th day of the fifth month is a national celebration of Guru Rinpoche’s birth. Kurjey, where the Guru himself is said to have meditated, is a natural place to mark it, and the masked dances tell the stories of his eight forms.
Planning
How to plan your visit
Two festivals in one morning
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 Kurjey Tshechu
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.
Kurjey Tshechu: questions
Expected on 14 June 2027 at Kurjey Lhakhang.
It holds the rock where Guru Rinpoche is said to have left the imprint of his body in the 8th century.
One day, from morning to late afternoon.
No. Bhutanese festivals are free. You attend with your licensed guide, who also explains the dances.
The Department of Tourism lists 14 June 2027 as the tentative 2027 dates. Lunar dates are occasionally adjusted, so we reconfirm before you book flights.
See Kurjey Tshechu 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: Kurjey Lhakhang temples in Bumthang (Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY-SA 4.0); 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); Ura village in Bumthang (Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY 3.0); Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu (Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0).
