The Drubchen is an annual winter festival held at the beautiful Punakha Dzong in Punakha valley.
Punakha Dzong guards Bhutan’s most sacred relic "Rangjung Kharsapani", a self-created image of the Bodhisattva of compassion. Tibetan forces invaded the valley to seize the relic but Bhutanese “pazaps” (local militia men) led by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel successfully guarded the relic and emerged victorious. To commemorate this victory, Zhabdrung introduced the Punakha Drubchen. Visitors from the nearby district of Gasa and the highlanders from Laya join the locals in Punakha to celebrate the festival. The highlight of the Drubchen is the recreation of the 17th-century battle scene to honor Zhabdrung and the great men.
