Wolfgang's photos with the keyword: Thanka

A symbolic touch of the Thanka is an holy celebration in Lama Buddhism. The civic male visitors wear a white/beige scarf with fringes around the left shoulder, that it covers the heart. A red scarf without fringes is worn by a Dasho. This title means 'the best'. It is not hereditary but is conferred by the King on people of his choice as a reward for service. A dark blue scarf shows that a person is a Representative of the People, elected by the Royal Advisory Council. An orange scarf without fringes is worn by Vice-Ministers; Ministers wear the same scarf, but with part of it folded on the left shoulder. The temple and monastery servants wear a plait scarf. Only the King and the highest dignitary wear a golden or saffron/yellow scarf, as does the Je Khenpo, the Head Abbot of the country.

This Thanka, the Thongdrol, is the second largest Thanka on the world, (the largest is in Lahsa/Tibet and is enrolled in Aug. every year at the Sera monasterry Lhasa). The people enroll it during nighttime only due a very high sensibility that the sunlight will destroy the nice color. Visitors at the Tshechu Paro have to get up very early at nighttime to see the Thanka, which is enrolled once a year.

At the Paro Festival, a large and beautifully appliquéd Thanka scroll known as a Tongdrol is exhibited for a few hours, at day break of the final day of the festival, enabling the people to obtain its blessing, as this holy scroll confers liberation by the mere sight of it (Tongdrol in Bhutanese).