Tibet Monastery Tour – Religious Ceremonies in Tibet Buddhism Monasteries

As we all known, most of the Tibetan festivals are closely related to Tibetan Buddhism. The celebration of these festivals always involves a series of religious ceremonies. Tibet Tour would like to introduce the most representative religious ceremonies in Tibetan Buddhism monasteries for tourists planning a Tibet monastery tour.

Tibet Monastery Tour – Great Prayer Festival

The Great Prayer Festival would be celebrated in Lhasa between January 3rd and 25th according to Tibetan calendar. The Buddhists in Sera Monastery, Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery will collect at Jokhang Temple to hold a series of religious ceremonies. The Buddhists in Jokhang Temple would keep murmuring the Buddhism scriptures under the light of thousands flickering butter lanterns. The flying prayer flags and smoke of incenses, and the busy pilgrims would form a special religious atmosphere. On the night of January 15th according to Tibetan calendar, there would be a boisterous butter lantern show. Various exquisite butter lanterns would make you feel the real festival atmosphere.

Tibet Monastery Tour – Saga Dawa Festival

Saga Dawa Festival would be celebrated on April 15th according to Tibetan calendar. Alms-giving is the main characteristic of Saga Dawa Festival, which is said to be one of the most special religious ceremonies. Tourists making a Tibet monastery tour during this festival would have the chance to take part in the grand alms-giving ceremony in front of the monastery. Besides, the followers of Tibetan Buddhism would also make circumambulation around Jokhang Temple and two other circumambulation routes in Lhasa City. This religious ceremony presents the spirit of Buddhism, kindness and compassion.

Tibet Monastery Tour – Illumination Festival

Illumination Festival is a religious festival especially celebrated for Master Tsongkhapa – a great reformer of Tibetan Buddhism and the founder of Gelug Sect. It is one of the most solemn festivals on Tibet festival calendar for the followers of Gelug Sect. On October 25th according to the Tibetan calendar, all the monasteries and Tibetan families would light up the butter lanterns all night through. On the night of Illumination Festival, all the butter lanterns would be lighted up. The light shined by the butter oil lanterns would always create a mysterious and solemn religious atmosphere.

There are numerous religious festivals would be celebrated in Tibet in a year. Tourists planning a Tibet monastery tour could search some information regarding the festival so as to witness more religious ceremonies and explore deeper about the mysterious Tibetan Buddhism.