Tibetan Bathing Festival

Tibetan Bathing Festival – Legend

In an autumn of ancient, large amount of animals died and many people lost their precious life for diseases. The fields littered with corpses. Gods knew the disaster. So the Goddess of Mercy sent Seven Fairies to save people from the disaster. She asked them to transport the spunk-water in Jade Liquor Pool to man's world. The spunk-water was poured into every river and lake in Tibet, people have bath in the river or lake can eliminate disease, so the epidemic was controlled. Since that, people will come to have bath in river or lakes in autumn when Venus rose. Later, Tibetans fix these dates from 6th to 12th of July in Tibetan calendar as Bathing Festival. It is unique Tibetan festival. Tibetans named it "gamariji", which means the date to have bath.

During the festival, the family will come to nearby river banks, lake banks, or stream banks, put up tent under trees, with cushion on grass, set up a temporary "family". They will use the prepared rich foods and drinks to welcome visitors. All of them happily gather together to spend the Bathing Festival.

Tibetan Bathing Festival – Features

Sixth to twelfth of July in Tibetan calendar is Bathing Festival, which is full of bright nationality characteristic.

"Bathing Festival" is "gamariji" in Tibetan, means having bath. It is recorded in Tibetan almanac: Qishan star rise in daytime in half year, and then rise in night in late half year. You can see this star in July to August in Tibetan Lhasa area. According to legends, the water which been shined by this star will become water medicine. So when the star rises, bath activities will come into climax. When the festival is come, no matter the weather is sunshine or cloudy, no matter in town or country, people will go to have bath to clean the dirt on body. They will take with things in the house which need to be cleaned, like carpet, Tibet wool, mini Tibetan carpet and so on. It is time to greet everything goes well in the year, pray the water can confer rebirth and healthy so that they can live better.

Tibetan Bathing Festival – Origin

In legends, in an autumn, there happened large epidemic in Tibetan plateau. So the Goddess of Mercy asked seven fairies get seven bottles of spunk-water and pour them into the rivers and lakes of Tibetan. In the night, all the Tibetans had a same dream. In the dream, a sallow and wounded Tibetan girl jumped into a limpid river; when she came out, she become a beautiful girl. So Tibetans came to have bath in the river to drive epidemic. People do this every year, and it formed annual "Bathing Festival".

Tibetan Bathing Festival has lasted 700 to 800 years. Since 11th century when astrolog was introduced into Tibet, people depend on if the Qishan Star rise to decide spring or autumn. When the star rises, bath activity came into climax, while the star falls down, the activity is end. Tibetans think water in this season is better than "holy water'. Except the religious color, autumn in Tibet is the best season. As in Tibet plateau, winter is long while summer is short. In spring, the snow begin to melt, river water very cold; in summer, heavy rain make water muddy; in autumn, the weather is fine and water is clean, so it is the best time to have bath. It is recorded in Tibetan almanac that the water in autumn with several advantages: sweet, cool, soft, slight, limpid, not smelly and will not harm to throat and belly. For this reason, we can see autumn is the best season to visit Tibet.