Saga Dawa at Mount Kailash 15th June 2011
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'Saga Dawa is an important Tibetan Buddhist festival, held each year on the full
moon day of the fourth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar, to celebrate
Sakyamuni 's enlightenment." , that's what every guidebook will tell you. But
actually having been there, to me at that moment it was more like being part of
a magic event, something that gets a total grip on all of your senses. So
what's going on ? Each year, they replace the Tarboche flagpole, a huge pole
that stands on the Kailash kora, south of the mountain. People from all over
Tibet gather here that day to attach their prayer flags they brought from home,
to pray, and to help erect the flagpole. The flagpole should stand perfectly
upright, or else things are not good for Tibet. The whole ceremony is led by a
Lama from the nearby monastery. It's his job to make it work 'right first
time'.'
Read more at :
http://www.worldtravelstories.com/tibet_%20story3.htmThe Saga Dawa festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 4th Tibetan month
and is one of the most important religious festivals celebrated in Tibet. This
auspicious day coincides with three important events in Buddha's life namely his
birth, nirvana and parinirvana (death). Since the Saga Dawa festival falls on
the holiest month of the Tibetan calendar, it is believed that good deeds and
prayers are multiplied thousand fold during this event. So we can see everyone
immersed in prayers and trying to appease the gods.
During the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, many people refrain from
killing animals and give out alms to everyone who comes asking for it. There may
not be overt celebrations everywhere, but even then you can easily discern the
festive spirit in the air during the Saga Dawa festival. If you are in Tibet
around that time, don't forget to be a part of the huge crowd that visits the
Dzongyab Lukhang Park at the foot of Potala for a late afternoon picnic. In
fact, this has become some sort of a yearly ritual for the people in Tibet. -
Saga Dawa near Mt Kailash, West Tibet 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS8_iO3G3ngSaga Dawa near Mt Kailash, West Tibet 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3AOMvJS3Oc&feature=related -
