Tibet Festival Calendar – Butter Sculpture Festival

Butter Sculpture Festival is an important unalloyed religious festival on Tibet festival calendar. January 15th according to Tibetan calendar is the last day of the Great Prayer Festival. There are two statements of the origin of Butter Sculpture Festival and both of them are related to the founder of Tibetan Buddhism – Sakyamuni. In a word, the Butter Sculpture Festival is celebrated in honor of Sakyamuni.

Tibet Festival Calendar – Brief Introduction of Butter Sculpture Festival

The Butter Sculpture Festival was firstly celebrated during the first Great Prayer Festival launched by Tsongkhapa in 1409. He sacrificed the butter scripture lanterns to the golden statue of Sakyamuni in Jokhang Temple. Since then the Butter Sculpture Festival would be celebrated on January 15th according to the Tibetan calendar.

Butter sculpture is a special form of sculpture art. It is said that the butter sculpture is originated in Tibet. Princess Wencheng of Chinese Tang Dynasty brought a statue of Sakyamuni to Jokhang Temple when she married Songtsen Gampo in 641 B.C. There was no crown on the head of the statue before Tsongkhapa sacrificed a butter sculpture to him after he became a Buddhist.

Tibet Festival Calendar – Religious Activities of Butter Sculpture Festival

The butter sculpture spread to Qinghai Province rapidly since Taer Monastery is the birthplace of Tsongkhapa. The butter sculpture art was well developed in Taer Monastery. Hence, the Tibetans started to sacrifice some butter to the monastery and the butter could be used to light the butter lanterns or for eating. The butter sculpture would be the main character during the celebration of Butter Sculpture Festival – a famous religious festival on Tibet festival calendar. Various figures made by colorful butter would be displayed on the festival.

During the celebration of Butter Sculpture Festival, various religious activities would be held in different monasteries. Among all the celebration activities, the religious dancing is the most important one. The dancer would wear special embroider clothes murmuring and dancing under the company of the religious musical instruments.