- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan festivals · 2027 guide
Tangsibi Mani 2027: a village festival in the Ura valley
Three days of masked dances and prayers at Tangsibi Lhakhang in Ura, Bumthang. Expected on 22 to 24 February 2027.
- 22 to 24 February 2027
- Tangsibi, Ura, Bumthang
- Small and local
22 to 24 Feb
Expected dates in 2027
3
Days of the festival
3,100 m
Approximate altitude of Ura
1.5 h
Drive from Jakar
About the festival
A mani festival in the high valley
Tangsibi is a small village in Ura, the highest of Bumthang’s four valleys. Its temple, Tangsibi Lhakhang, holds a three-day mani festival each year, organised by the people of Tangsibi and Ura. The festival traces its roots to the treasure revealer Terton Sherab Mebar, who is said to have stayed in the area.
A mani festival centres on prayer and the recitation of the mani mantra, with masked dances performed in the temple courtyard. Tangsibi Mani is very much a village event. You will see farmers and yak herders in their best clothes, picnics on the grass and children watching the atsaras. Few foreign travellers make it here, which is exactly the appeal.
- Organised by the Tangsibi and Ura communities
- Linked to Terton Sherab Mebar
- A genuine village festival
Festival facts
Tangsibi Mani 2027 at a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates in 2027 | 22 to 24 February 2027 |
| Venue | Tangsibi Lhakhang, Ura |
| District | Bumthang (central Bhutan) |
| Altitude | About 3,100 m |
| Getting there | About 1.5 hours' drive east of Jakar over the Shertang La |
| Weather | Cold, clear days and freezing nights in February |
| Nearby | Ura village, Tharpaling and the main Bumthang temples |
| 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 Tangsibi Mani
Masked dances
Cham performed by local dancers in the courtyard.
Mani prayers
Recitation of the mani mantra for the community.
Village life
Families from Ura in their festival clothes.
Atsaras
Masked jesters who tease the crowd.
Local food
Buckwheat dishes and butter tea shared at picnics.
Ura valley
Wide pastures and old stone houses.
History and meaning
Background
Terton Sherab Mebar
Sherab Mebar was a treasure revealer, or terton, believed to have discovered hidden teachings and objects. Local tradition connects the Tangsibi festival with his time in the area, and the rituals have been passed down by the village since.
Ura
Ura sits at about 3,100 metres and has a cluster of traditional houses with stone walls and shingled roofs around Ura Lhakhang. It is best known for the Ura Yakchoe in April, but the quieter Tangsibi Mani is a chance to see the valley in winter.
Planning
How to plan your visit
Pairing festivals
Combine Tangsibi Mani with the Tharpaling Thongdrol two days earlier and the Punakha festivals the week before. Base yourself in Jakar, which has the best hotels in Bumthang.
Tips
Dress warmly, as Ura is colder than Jakar. Roads over the Shertang La can be icy, so leave early and allow extra time.
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 Tangsibi Mani
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.
Tangsibi Mani: questions
Expected on 22 to 24 February 2027 at Tangsibi Lhakhang in Ura.
About 1.5 hours by road.
No. It is a small community festival, which is why many travellers enjoy it.
No. Bhutanese festivals are free. You attend with your licensed guide, who also explains the dances.
The Department of Tourism lists 22 to 24 February 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 Tangsibi Mani 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: Ura village in Bumthang (Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY 3.0); 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); Tharpaling monastery above the Chhume valley (Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY-SA 4.0); Chorten Kora stupa in Trashi Yangtse (Vikramjit Kakati, CC BY-SA 4.0).
