HAPPY SHOTON FESTIVAL 2014

July,27 2016 BY Master Catherine Jigme 0 COMMENTS

The grand opening of Shoton Festival was held this morning, local worshippers and tourists witness the traditional way of showing the holy Thangka at Drepung Monastery.Thousands of followers hold their breath and feel the baptism of their hearts. Next, horns blare, all Lama read the scripture and pray, followers touch the "Thanka" by forehead to show devotion.
There are also other celebratory events such as Tibetan Opera, visiting NorbuLinka, horse race,Yak race.The whole Tibet is bathing in the happiness.

HAPPY SHOTON FESTIVAL ! Shoton Festival is held in Lhasa from August 25, 2014 and the celebration lasts a week. In fact, the meaning of Shoton Festival has changed with the development of Tibet. Now, Shoton Festival has three meanings, yogurt banquet, Tibetan opera festival and Buddha unfolding ceremony.

Originally, the festival was purely religious. Monks would spend weeks in retreat. When they emerged, it was the custom for commoners to give them yogurt. Hence the festival's name Shoton which means "yogurt banquet" in Tibetan language. Legend has it that Tsong Khapa, founder of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism made it a rule that all lamas must do meditations from the fourth month to the sixth month of the Tibetan year. Abstinence is broken by the end of the sixth month. On this day, by tradition, pilgrims will go to monasteries to offer their homemade yogurt to monks who have been long constricted by religious rituals inside monasteries.

In this way, people show their thanks to the merciful lamas for their love and protection to the little and prosperous lives in the nature.

It is high time to enjoy various kinds of homemade yogurt during the Shoton Festival. The reason of the connection between Shoton and yogurt has a long history. There are more than 300 pieces of Tibetan religious tenets and the most important one is to avoid killing lives. As all animals come out for food in summer, it is easy to kill those small worms. So during June 15th to July 30th, lamas are ordered to do nothing but staying inside their monasteries for penance, which is called Yale in Tibetan language.

See more detailes about Shoton Festival Tibet

The Following Pictures are taken in Drepung Monastery, August 25, 2014

Shoton Festival 2014

Huge Thangka Display

Shoton Festival 2014

People gather at the mountain behind Drepung Monasatery and waiting for Thangka Display

Shoton Festival 2014

Monks lift a huge Tangka to the mountain behind Drepung Monastery, and display it to the people once a year during Shoton Festival, this becomes one of the sacred religious ceremonies in Tibet.

About the Author - Master Catherine Jigme

With exceptional passion and outstanding leadership, Mrs. Catherine has dedicated herself to Tibet inbound tourism and China tour for 15 years. As one of the handful females who see great potential of Chinese inbound tourism, Catherine has made great contribution to promoting Tibet tourism and enhancing the employment of Tibetans and prosperity of local Tibetan community.

Over the years, she travelled overseas with Tibet Tourism Bureau many times to promote Tibet tourism. Currently, Catherine works as the marketing director of Tibet Vista, an opinion leader behind the whole team of Tibet Vista.

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