BHUTAN

A kingdom of palaces, pagodas and rolling pastures draped across the valleys of the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is a country built around the tenets of Buddhism. The annual Paro Tshechu, held each spring, is among the most spectacular of the country's sacred festivals, with dances and ceremonies dating back to the 17th century

- RENATO GRANIERI

Hundreds of people gather to witness the five-day festival in the grounds of Rinpung Dzong, a monastery and fortress in Paro. The town, situated west of the capital, Thimpu, is nestled in a bucolic valley. During the festival, days are filled with worship, both through decoration and dance - the latter ranging from acrobatic displays to slapstick shows. The red-masked Atsara figure is a traditional comedic character, his act combining wit and wisdom, humour and responsibility. His role is to help the audience to forget their worries with his jokes and to puncture their self-importance, hypocrisy and false propriety through his pranks.