'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.htm
The 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.
