Chorten Kora — the Tibetan-style stupa of Trashiyangtse, with two pilgrimage windows fifteen days apart.

What a visitor encounters

• The dakpa kora

  The first pilgrimage window. The Dakpa community from across the Indian border attends; the dress and language differ from the Bhutanese, and the photographic distinction is notable.

• The drupa kora

  The second pilgrimage window, fifteen days later. The Bhutanese pilgrimage; the local Trashiyangtse and broader-eastern community attends in full.

• The bodhnath comparison

  Chorten Kora is the principal Bhutanese expression of Tibetan stupa architecture, modelled on Bodhnath in Kathmandu. For visitors who have visited the Nepalese original, the comparison is striking.

• Combining with gom kora tshechu

  The Gom Kora Tshechu (9th–11th day of the 2nd lunar month) is held at the meditation cave 5km from the Chorten Kora stupa, typically a fortnight after the Drupa Kora. Some itineraries combine both — staying in Trashiyangtse for the late-February / early-March pilgrimage window and returning for the late-March / early-April Tshechu.

Frequently asked

When exactly is Chorten Kora 2026?

Two pilgrimage days fifteen days apart: Dakpa Kora on 4 March 2026 (15th day of the 1st lunar month), Drupa Kora on 19 March 2026 (30th day of the 1st lunar month). The dates shift each Gregorian year with the Bhutanese lunar calendar.

Are the two pilgrimage windows different?

Substantially. The Dakpa Kora is principally attended by the Dakpa community from across the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh; the dress, language, and pilgrimage tradition are distinct. The Drupa Kora is the Bhutanese window. The festival's character is different across the two days; both are notable in their own right.

Are there mask dances?

Chorten Kora is principally a pilgrimage rather than a chams festival — the day's activity is circumambulation of the stupa, not mask-dance performance. For chams in eastern Bhutan, see the Gom Kora Tshechu at the nearby meditation cave (late March / early April) or the Trashigang Tshechu (late November / early December).

Why is the stupa modelled on Bodhnath?

Chorten Kora was built in 1740 by Lama Ngawang Loday, a nephew of the Zhabdrung. The Lama travelled to Nepal, carved a model of Bodhnath in a single radish, and brought the model back as the template — the carved-radish detail explains the proportional differences between Chorten Kora and the Bodhnath original.

How do I get to Trashiyangtse?

Approximately 2–3 days of driving from Paro via Thimphu, Bumthang, Mongar, and Trashigang. We typically combine Chorten Kora with the broader eastern circuit and build a 10–12 day itinerary that ends with a domestic Drukair flight from Yongphula (Trashigang) back to Paro.