Witness the black necked crane festival
Celebrated at the Gangtey Gompa courtyard located in the Phobjikha Valley, this festival is used as a medium to pass on a message to mankind. The motive of this festival is to create awareness on creating and protecting the endangered black necked cranes.
Every November, local children, farmers, and monks flood the monastery’s courtyard to celebrate the arrival of some beloved visitors: black-necked cranes, among the rarest cranes in the world—several hundred of which migrate here each year. The cranes travel from their summer breeding grounds on the Tibetan Plateau to this picturesque Bhutanese valley, where they feed on the dwarf bamboo that grows in the valley’s alpine wetlands. During the winter months, as they roost amid the farms and cottages of Phobjikha, they form an integral part of life for the people who live here. The Bhutanese believe that the circling of cranes provides a special blessing. Crops of winter wheat are not planted until after the fields have been blessed by the arriving cranes.
What’s happening ?
Started by the local community, Black Neck Crane Festival activities include the opportunity to visit the Black Necked Cranes roost, stroll through handicraft and game stalls and enjoy masked and costumed dances in honour and praise of the Black Necked Cranes.
When: On the 11th of November
