Chorten Kora Festival — Sacred Border Pilgrimage of the White Stupa

Held at the iconic Chorten Kora in eastern Bhutan, the Chorten Kora Festival is one of the country’s most unique pilgrimage events, blending Bhutanese and Arunachal Pradesh spiritual traditions in a single sacred space.

Festival At A Glance

Location: Trashiyangtse (Chorten Kora)
Type: Religious pilgrimage + mask dance gathering
Origin: Built in the 18th century by Lama Ngawang Loday

What Makes It Unique

Thousands of pilgrims circumambulate the white stupa barefoot, echoing the devotion of Nepal’s Bodh Gaya traditions.

Female devotees from Arunachal Pradesh (India) arrive in vibrant dress for a major annual prayer gathering.

Monastic mask dances perform tantric rituals believed to purify karma and ward off negative forces.

The festival has a rare cross-border spiritual connection, making it one of Bhutan’s most culturally diverse religious events.

Why Visit?

A powerful mix of pilgrimage devotion, living Himalayan culture and rare transnational spirituality set against one of eastern Bhutan’s most sacred stupas.