- Thongdrel
A Thongdrel (alt. throngdrel) is a large
tapestry unveiled during "tsechu s" (religious festivals) inBhutan . They are equivalent to Tibetan "thangka " paintings. Thongdrels typically depict a seatedGuru Rinpoche surrounded by holy beings.Thongdrels are composed of two silk layers, the painting itself and a yellow drape that covers and protects it. Thongdrels are displayed once per year as the highlight of the tsechu festival of a district or "
dzongkhag " (although not every district has a thongdrel). The painting is not allowed to be struck by the direct rays of the sun, thus it is unfurled at around 3:00 in the morning and rolled back up by 7:30 AM.The mere viewing of the unfurled thongdrel is said to cleanse the viewer of sin.
ee also
*
Culture of Bhutan
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.