Lhasa Saga Dawa Festival Tour along with Everest Base Camp

Tibetan Buddhism preserved much of the later Indian Buddhist traditions before they were wiped out from India. Combining with the cultural traditions and practices of the Bon religion, Buddhism in Tibet has taken a form that is unique, found nowhere else in the world. One of the main festivals in Tibetan Buddhism is the Saga Dawa.  The Saga Dawa Festival honors Shakyamuni and lasts for one month. It takes place in the fourth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar and is thought to be the holiest festival in Tibet. While April 15 (Tue, May 31, 2022) is seen as the most important and special day in Tibetan Buddhism because it is said to be the date of Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. 

Pilgrims from all over the world come to Lhasa for this festival. They show their deepest gratitude to the Buddha by doing the Kora around the Jokhang Temple, giving money to the poor, and letting animals go free. This makes Saga Dawa Festival the most merciful day in Tibet. 

In Tibetan, "month" is called "Dawa," and "Saga" is the name of the brightest star in the sky during the lunar month. In Tibetan astrology, Saka is one of the 28 most important stars that are known. On holy days like the full moon and the new moon of the month, Tibetans follow eight major precepts during Saga Dawa. Since the full moon is the holiest day, the people who follow these rules do so with great passion.

The Saga Dawa Festival features a long-standing custom of going around in circles, or circumambulation around chortens and religious temples. In  Lhasa, there are three different ways to go around the city. The first one is the Langkhor path, which is located in the Jokhang Temple and has a circumference of 500 meters. The second option is to take Barkhor Street, which is one kilometer in circumference. Linkhor Street is the third route, and it has a circumference of 5000 meters, which means it completely encircles the old city of Lhasa. Every day, there are a large number of people who practice Tibetan Buddhism and conduct a circumambulation along Langkhor Route and Barkhor Street. On the auspicious occasion of the Saga Dawa Festival, Tibetans would select to perform the ritual of circumambulation on Linkhor Street.

Beggars from all over Tibet would congregate on South Deji Road in Lhasa in order to solicit donations on the holiday of Saga Dawa. This is another custom associated with this holiday. The practice of paying alms on Saga Dawa has developed into a custom among Tibetans living in Lhasa. Visitors who schedule their trips to Tibet around the time of the Saga Dawa Festival will have the opportunity to take part in the distribution of alms and experience the unique ambiance of the festival. Visitors to Tibet would also notice that Tibetan Buddhism had a significant impact on each and every facet of local Tibetans' day-to-day lives.