Sixth nomad festival  
Tanden Zangmo /Thimphu
Nomads in the country will once again get together to celebrate the unique nomad festival initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest which has proved to the most excellent platform for the nomads and herders to show case their varied cultures, traditions and experiences.
Every year semi nomad from Haa, Paro, Thimphu, Gasa, Wangduephodrang, Bumthang, Trashi Yangtse and Trashigang participates in the event but this year nomads from Bumthang and Wangduephodrang are only called for participation.
This year the two day long festival which will take place from February 23 till 25 in Thangbee in Chokhoer gewog under Bumthang dzongkhag is dedicated to the 60^th birth anniversary of the fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuk.
With the theme of the festival ‘promoting harmony for bio-culture diversity’ would see nomads showcasing their tradition and culture of the nomads such as nomadic life style, handicrafts, weaves etc.
Further the nomads would also exhibit their traditional games like Soksum, pungdo, Khuru and variety of nomadic dances that are prominent in their locality.
According to the Park Manager Tshering Dendup with the Wangchuk Centennial National Park, the festival held every year is dedicated to the nomadic communities in the country to bring together these communities and herders to showcase their varied cultures, traditions and experiences.
Nomads in the country not only have exclusive culture but they are also known to have a sacred and indispensible duty of contributing towards sovereignty and border integrity of the Country by acting as a buffer zone at the bordering areas.
Park Manager Tshering Dendup further said that organizing such festival would encourage the young nomads to retain back in their home and continue to take care of their ancestral farmland.
 The park manager added that organizing such festival would create a platform where nomads of different districts to showcase their transhumance practice (transfer of livestock from one grazing ground to another, as from lowlands to highlands, with the changing of seasons), foods, culture and traditions.

The annual festival is also aims to acknowledge reinforce and value the special role played by the highland people in the conservation of bio cultural heritage of Bhutan,

Apart from such festival the government has also a policy of taking education and other social amenities closer to them hoping that taking such amenities would help retain the economically productive members of the family.
The festival encourages and brings together people from all sections of the society thus minimizing the social stigma attached to some sections of the society.
The nomads would demonstrate their local dances and further cook their traditional nomadic cuisines like Jagbuli, Khuli and Puta and sell their livestock products; for local communities to supplement their income through home stays and catering services.
During the festival, those visitors interested in trekking would be guided by the local people to trek the popular Bumthang cultural trek.

In return agriculture ministry would showcase economically viable farm technologies, programs and entrepreneurial activities geared towards alleviation of rural poverty.

On the whole the festival is intended to provide them with an avenue for interaction with other fellow Bhutanese, promote the idea of linkage between ecotourism and conservation to boost the socioeconomic status of the nomads and provide tourists with the opportunity to experience the culture and traditions of rural Bhutan.

The festival also aims to disseminate information to the nomads on the values of conservation of flora and fauna, watershed management, economic development, animal and plant husbandry etc.

The two day long festival is organized by Wangchuck Centennial National Park and supported by Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB), Bhutan Trust Fund for Environment Conservation (BTFEC) and Wild Wildlife Fund Bhutan.