Activities in Tibetan Saga Dawa Festival

Activities in Tibetan Saga Dawa Festival – Circumambulation

The city proper of Lhasa formed for pilgrims from everywhere in the world coming to worship Jokhang Temple. It gradually became the center of Tibetan politics, economy and culture. Hence, roads in Lhasa city distribute based on traditional circumambulations. Circumambulation refers to walk around a circle. It is a way of supplication. There are three circumambulations in Lhasa. The first one is Nangkhor which is around the main hall of Jokhang Temple. The whole way of Nagkhor is with prayer wheels. It is about 500 meters long. It is the interior circumambulation in Lhasa. The second way is Barkhor Street, around the Jokhang Temple. It is about 1000 meters long. That's the middle circumambulation. The third one is "Lingkhor" which is around the old city of Lhasa. That's the outer circumambulation. There are streams of pilgrims on Nangkhor and Barkhor Street every day. Tibetans only circumambulate Lingkhor on important days. In Saga Dawa Festival, the scene of circumambulation at Lingkhor is the most grand. From the first day of Tibetan Saga Dawa Festival, there are streams of pilgrims on Lingkhor. On April 15th in Tibetan Calendar, the circumambulation reaches climax. From 2 o'clock to the night, there are streams of pilgrims. On the day of Saga Dawa Festival, people of all ages and both sexes will wear festival clothes to circumambulate and chant scripture. April in Tibetan Calendar is Buddhist month which is named "Saga Dawa" in Tibetan Language. In this month, Tibetans in different districts will chant scripture, prostrate, stop killing life and accumulate merits.

Activities in Tibetan Saga Dawa Festival – Alms Giving

In the noon, streams of pilgrims will gradually disappear. On the footway on south side of Lingkhor Road, west side of Potala Palace, there is a row of old man and women and some young men and women with sick face sitting on road. Giving alms is an important content of Saga Dawa Festival. People think that Buddha can find which men of wealth have the will of taking across sentient beings universally and accumulating merits through alms giving and make fair judgment and sanction about them.

Activities in Tibetan Saga Dawa Festival – Weisang

The high platform for Weisang (burning incense) is covered by dark smoke, and the burning cypress branches crackle. People will take out tsmaba from their pocket and throw on the burning cypress braches. Then, they will take out one or two branches of cypress and add to the burning cypress braches. At the same time, they will pray loudly. After that, they will kowtow on a holy rock. As time goes by, it shows believers' gratefulness to Buddha.

Activities in Tibetan Saga Dawa Festival – Sermon

During Saga Dawa Festival, there is a special Buddhist tent for holding religious activity. It is a splendid and bright large tent. It is as large as a volleyball court. It can contain several hundreds persons at the same time. In Saga Dawa Festival, this tent is the place to do sermon.