Circumambulation Day – Saga Dawa Festival

April is the religious Buddhist month of a year called Saga Dawa Festival. On the 15th of April, Saga Dawa Festival will be held everywhere in Tibet Region. It is said to last for 4 months in total. In general, it is also the traditional festival of Tibet and usually greatly held by local Tibetans. During the festival, every local Tibetan will get together to pray to the Buddha and Kowtow along the way. In order to accumulate merits, they are prohibited to kill any livestock on that day.

Saga Dawa Festival – Feature

Saga Dawa Festival is aimed at doing good work to people on this special day. Hence, you can see many devout followers who kowtow around Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, or at Barkhor Street. Some of them make best wishes to the Buddha, some of them just want to show their respect to the Buddha, and some of them are only sitting in front of the Buddha without talking, some believers are walking clockwise around Jokhang Temple, and some are celebrating the religious ceremonies to show the respect to Sakyamuni. Tibetans will be very glad to give their food and money to the beggars and poor men on that day as a tradtion. Hence, Saga Dawa Festival is also called "Poor men's Day".

Recently, Saga Dawa Festival becomes more and more popular during Tibet tour. Tourists are kindly suggested to take few changes to poor people as you wish when you meet them. And also, please show your respect to people who you are photographing by you during Tibet tour.

General speaking, Tibetan people will only eat vegetables during the festival even though they like to eat Yak meat very much. People who make a crime during the festival will be punished more terribly.

Saga Dawa Festival – Circumambulation

Circumambulation Route 1

Walk clockwise around the main hall of Jokhang Temple. It is the first circumambulation route, about 500 meters long. It is called the inner route.

Circumambulation Route 2

It is walking clockwise around Jokhang Temple outside at Barkhor Street, about 1000 meters long.

Circumambulation Route 3

It is Lingko Road around the old Lhasa City, about 5000 meters long.

Lingko Road is the busiest circumambulation route among them. There will be large numbers of people gather together to kowtow and crawl along the way. The ceremony will be held till the second day.