Tibetan Festivals

The 15th day of the 4th Tibetan month is Saka Dawa Festival. That day is believed to be the day when Sakyamuni was born, stepped in to Buddhahood and attained nirvana. Tibetans believe that one merit equals myriads of merits accumulated the other days.

Shoton Festival (also called Yoghurt Festival) starts on the 30th of the 7th Tibetan month.The origin of the festival started from the 17th century. When monks stopped their summer retreat which was intended not to kill newly hatched insects, pilgrims came to serve them with yogurt. Later Tibetan opera performances were added to the event to amuse monks in monasteries. During the festival, giant Thangkas of the Buddha is unveiled in Drepung Monastery and Tibetan opera troupes perform operas at Norbulingka.

The Butter Lamp Festival, Chunga Choepa in Tibetan, falls on January 15th of Tibetan calendar. The event was also established by Tsong Khapa to celebrate the victory of Sakyamuni against heretics in a religious debate. Various giant butter and Tsampa sculptures, in forms of auspicious symbols and figures, are displayed on Barkhor. People keep singing and dancing throughout the festive night.

Tibetan New Year is the most important festival in Tibet. Known as Losar, the festival starts from the 28th to the 29th of the 12th Tibetan month. It is an occasion when Tibetan families reunite and expect a better coming year.

This festival is known as 'Monlam Chemo' in Tibetan. It is the grandest religious holiday in the year for Tibetans. Tsongkhapa, organizes a great prayer meeting in Jokhang Temple to commemorate Sakyamuni in the first month of Tibetan Calendar. This festival begins on the 3rd day of the first month. Monks from the various monasteries and Buddhists from various places gather together in Jokhang Temple and hold various religious activities. The Great Prayer Festival ends with the ritual of expelling evils.