Each 10th day of the lunar calendar is said to commemorate a special event in the life of Padmasambhava; and some of these are dramatized in the context of a religious festival. Most festivals last from three to five days - one of which, usually, falls on the 10th day of the lunar calendar.

The regional Dzong and remote village communities hold their distinct annual Tsechu festival, providing the local populace with a wonderful occasion to dress up and enjoy, in a light-hearted atmosphere. It is also an occasion to renew their faith and receive blessings by watching the sacred dances, or receiving 'empowerment' from a lama or Buddhist monk.

The dances, each aspect of which has a symbolic meaning, are performed by trained monks and laymen wearing ornate costumes and in some cases, impressive masks. At Paro, Wangdu, Mongar and Tashigang, among other places, a large 'thanka' scroll known as a Tongdrol is exhihited for a few hours, at day break of the final day of the festival, enabling the people to obtain its blessing, since such scrolls 'confer liberation by the mere sight of it' (tongdrol in Bhutanese). Of these festivals the Paro Tsechu, in the spring, and the Wangue and Thimpu Tsechus, in the fall, are the most impressive.

The largest annual festival in Bhutan is the Tshechus, an event honoring Guru Rimpoche through religious dances performed by monks as well as lay people. The dates and duration of the tshechu festivals vary among districts but they always fall on or around the 10th day of the month in the Bhutanese calendar. The dances are known as Cham and are performed to bless onlookers, to teach them the Buddhist dharma, to protect them from misfortune and to exercise all evil, the dancers who take on the aspects of wrathful and compassionate deities, heroes, demons and animals do this.

Shabdrung Nawang Namgyel and Pema Lingpa were main figures who composed many of the dances. It is believed that merit is gained by attending these religious festivals. The dances invoke the deities to wipe out misfortunes, increase luck and general personal wishes. Onlookers rarely fail to notice the Atsara or clowns who move through the crowds, mimicking the dancers and performing comic routines in their masks with the long red noses. A group of ladies perform traditional Bhutanese dances during the intervals between masked dances.

The four-day Thimphu Tshechu was initiated by the fourth Desi (temporal ruler of Bhutan), Tenzin Rabgay in 1687. It is one of the biggest festivals in the country.

An auspicious event of the many of the Tshechus is furling of the Thongdrel from the building overlooking the dance area. This is done before sunrise and most people rush to witness the moment. Thongdrols are large Thangkas or religious pictures that are usually embroidered rather than painted. The word itself means, “liberation on sight”. It is believed that sins are wiped away simply by viewing it. Apart from its religious implications, the tshechus is also known as an annual social gathering where people dress in their finest clothing and Jewellery.