Wangdue Phodrang Tshechu

 Every festival have its back-end story and a reason to celebrate those festivals, for instance Christmas is celebrated for the birth of Lord Jesus, Eid is celebrated with regard to different sacrifices and believes, and so does the legend say about the festival of Wangdue Phodrang.

Also known as the Raksha Mangcham or "the dance of the Ox" is a three day long festival celebrated in the autumn season and to be specific *12-14th of September* and after which the Thimphu Tshechu starts. The dance of Raksha from the monastery of Dole (Dole Raksha Cham) is one of the most significant dance in the festival. 

Here's the story --->   

The 4^th temporal ruler of Bhutan, Tenzing Rabgye (1680-1695) wished to do good to his subjects of Shar, Wang and They. Therefore, he ordered a bridge to be made on the Wangdue river by a mason named Dragpa from the village of Rinchengang (A small village on the right side of the river Punatshangchu). In 1685, this builder along with the people of Shar, Wang and They began the construction of the bridge but what the men built during day time, the demons destroyed at night. As the bridge could not be completed, the men wondered what to do. The 2^nd Je Khenpo, Seunam Oezer (1672-1689) who was at that time residing in Wangduephodrang Dzong (fortress), had a dream, one night a black man appeared and told him, ‘the bridge can not be completed now because the demons are creating obstacles. To find a solution to this problem, a new dance which had never been shown here before has to be performed, you will invite everyone to see it. At the time demons will also come to see it and their attention will be turned away from the bridge. After you have established the middle pillar of the bridge in the water, you will immediately perform the consecration. In this way the demons will not be able to do any more harm.’ Then the Je Khenpo remembered that during the construction of Wangduephodrang Dzong there had been a prophecy given by Yeshy Gompo to the Shabdrung. The Je Khenpo realised that this was also a prophecy from Yeshy Gompo. Immediately, he sent messengers to fetch the dancers, masks and costumes from the monastery of Dole. When the dances were performed in the Dzong, many villagers came to see the festival and the water-deity of Wangdue bridge also came with his retinue of demons. As their attention was turned away from the river, the pillar of the bridge was built in the water and the consecration was at once performed by Je Khenpo. At the moment, in the Dzong, all the other dancers were finished but the Raksha dancer as if he was agitated by the protectors of the religion (Chhokyong), did not enter the dancers’ dressing room, and went on performing alone number of dances such as Bja Cham, Teucham, Gyucham, Kansi, Gosi, until the work on the bridge was completed. Once the construction of the bridge was completed, he disappeared without a trace. By the time, the villagers dispersed and demons went back to their places, the construction was over, the construction ceremony was finished and the demons were powerless. That is how the order of the 4^th temporal ruler, Tenzing Rabgye was carried out and the bridge with three points of support built by the mason Dragpa was completed.

                For the happiness of the Bhutanese people and in order to prevent the earth and water deities from doing any mischief, one mandala (diagram) dedicated to the Buddha Mitrupa (Akshobya) was placed in the middle of the bridge.