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Tibet Festival Calendar
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| If you plan your tour of Tibet well, not only will you be able to see the pristine beauty of the region, you could also participate in the numerous highly colourful festivals of region. Hardly a day passes without some festivities, ceremonial observances or pilgrimages occurring in some part of the region or the other. Whichever festival you include in your travel itenery, be sure to carry lots of film. Trust us, you are going to need it. |
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Tibetan Festival Calendar (Year: 2007 and 2008) |
| LIST OF FESTIVALS |
DATES IN TIBETAN CALENDAR |
YEAR 2007 |
YEAR 2008 |
| TIBETAN NEW YEAR (LOSAR) |
1-3 of the 1st Lunar month |
Feb 18 |
Feb 7 |
| MONLAM PRAYER FESTIVAL |
4-11 of the 1st lunar month |
Feb 22 - Mar 1 |
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| BUTTER LAMP/ CHOE-NGA CHOEPA |
15th of the 1st Lunar month |
Mar 4 |
Mar 26 |
| SAGA DAWA |
15th of the 4th Lunar month |
May 31 |
June 18 |
| GYANTSE HORSE RACE |
14-18th of 4th Lunar month |
May 30 - June 3 |
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| THANKA UNVEILING AT TASHILHUNPO |
15th of the 5th Lunar month |
June 30 |
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| ZAMLING CHISANG /SAMYA DOLDE |
15th of the 5th Lunar month |
June 30 |
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| CHOEKOR DUECHEN |
4th of the 6th Lunar month |
July 18 |
Aug 5 |
| SHOTON FESTIVAL |
30th of the 6th Lunar month |
Aug 12 - Aug 18 |
Aug 30 – Sep 5 |
| NAGCHU HORSE RACE |
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Aug 10-16 |
Aug 10-16 |
| LHABAB DHECHEN |
22nd of the 9th Lunar month |
Nov 3 |
Nov 3 |
| PALDEN LHAMO FESTIVAL |
15th of the 10th Lunar month |
Nov 26 |
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| GADEN NGA-CHOE |
25th of the 10th Lunar month |
Dec 7 |
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| GADEN THANKA UNVEILING |
15th of 6th Lunar month |
July 30 |
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| LITHANG HORSE RACE |
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Aug 1 - Aug 3 |
Aug 1 - Aug 3 |
| JE KUNDO HORSE RACE YESHU) |
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July 25 - July 28 |
July 25 - July 28 |
| TIJI FESTIVAL MUSTANG (PALACE) |
25-29th the 3rd Lunar month |
May 12-16 |
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| TIJI FESTIVAL MUSTANG (MONASTERY) |
5-9th of the 5th Lunar month |
June 19 - June 24 |
June 19 - June 24 |
Tibetan New Year |
| It is the greatest festival in Tibet. In ancient times when the peach tree was in blossom, it was considered as the starting of a new year. Since the systematization of the Tibetan calendar in 1027 AD., the first day of the first month became fixed as the New Year. On the New Year's Day, families unite "auspicious dipper" is offered and the auspicious words "tashi delek" are greeted. |
Grand Summons Ceremony |
| The Great Prayer Festival, falls anywhere from the fourth up to the eleventh day of the first Tibetan month. The event was established in 1049 by Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama's order , It is the grandest religious festival in Tibet. Religious dances are performed and thousands of monks gather for chanting in front of the Jokhang Temple. Examinations take the form of debates for the Geshe degree, the highest degree in Buddhist theology. Pilgrims crowd to listen to the sermons and to give religious donations. |
Butter Oil Lantern Festival |
| It's held on the 15th of the first lunar month. Huge yak-butter sculptures are placed around Lhasa's Barkhor circuit. |
Saga Dawa Festival |
| It is the holiest in Tibet, there memorable occasions coincide on this day, Buddha's birth and Buddha's enlightenment. Almost every person within Lhasa joins in circumambulations round the city and spends their late afternoon on picnic at "Dzongyab Lukhang" park at the foot of Potala. |
Gyantse Horse Race & Archery |
| Horse race and archery are generally popular in Tibet, and Gyantse enjoys prestige of being the earliest in history by starting in 1408. Contests in early times included horse race, archery, and shooting on gallop followed by a few days' entertainment or picnicking. Presently, ball games, track and field events, folk songs and dances, barter trade are in addition to the above. |
Changtang Chachen Horse Race Festival |
| There are many horse racing festivals in Tibet, the one in Nagqu of Northern Tibet is the greatest. August is the golden season on Northern Tibet's vast grassland. Herdsmen, on their horsebacks, in colorful dresses, carrying tents and local products, pour into Nagqu. Soon they form a city of tents. Various exciting programs are held, such as horse racing, yak racing, archery, horsemanship and commodity fair. |
Mountian Worship Festival |
| The holy mountain festival begins on the fourth day of the sixth Tibetan month and commemorates Sakyamuni's (Buddha's) first sermon. People go to monasteries to pay their respects to the Buddha. Circumambulation around the mountains is a very popular practice during the festival. Picnicking, singing and dancing are also part of the event. Mt.Kailash is a very popular journey at this stage. |
Shoton Festival |
| It is one of the major festivals in Tibet, also known as the Tibetan Opera Festival. The founder of the Gelugpa (Yellow Sect of Buddhism), Tsongkhapa set the rule that Buddhists can cultivate themselves only indoor in summer, to avoid killing other creatures carelessly. This rule must be carried out till the seventh lunar month. Then Buddhists go outdoors, accept yoghurt served by local people, and have fun. Since the middle of 17th century, the Fifth Dalai Lama added opera performance to this festival. Famous Tibetan opera troupes perform in Norbulingka (Dalai Lama's summer palace). |
Bathing Festival |
| It is believed when the sacred planet Venus appears in the sky; the water in the river becomes purest and cures diseases. During its appearance for one week, usually the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth lunar months, all the people in Tibet go into the river to wash away the grime of the previous year. |
Harvest Festival |
| Is celebrated when the crops ripen,usually around August. The festival is observed only in farming villages. People walk around their fields to thank the gods and deities for a good year's harvest. Singing, dancing, and horse racing are indispensable folk activities |
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