Tibetan pilgrims Commemorate the Birthday of Shakyamuni

July,28 2016 BY Master Catherine Jigme 0 COMMENTS

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Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, was born in what is now Nepal some 2,500 years ago. June 4 is said to be his birthday. Tibetan pilgrims commemorate the birthday of Shakyamuni by different means.

In the morning of June 4, hundreds of Tibetan Buddhists were buying fish which would be released into Lhasa river by the pilgrims. Some pilgrims spent hundreds of RMB on buying fish to release them into the river.

Tibetan pilgrims flocked on the ritual walk paths into the Jokhang Temple and the Jokhang Temple, two famous Buddhist shrines in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet for the grand event.

Lingkor Street, known as Lhasa's longest ritual walk path, was crowded with Tibetan pilgrims turning the prayer wheel and prayer beads while chanting Buddhist scriptures.

"Pilgrimage can strengthen my pursuit for kindness," said Dawa, whose family set out at 7 a.m. "We consider kindness as the basic human principle." The local government has put up parasols and awnings at the crossroads for Tibetan believers to take a rest during the Sagya Dawa Festival, a festival to commemorate the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha. Free hot water, umbrellas, wheel chairs and medical kits have also been prepared for them.

Apart from taking ritual walks, many Tibetan pilgrims prostrate to pray for blessings. Dressed in traditional costume, Sinam Drolma specially came to Lhasa for pilgrimage from eastern Tibet's Chamdo Prefecture. She set about prostrating at the Potala Palace square in the early morning with 10,000 kowtows by 11:00 o'clock, said Sinam Drolma, who aimed at 1,000,000 kowtows.

The Sagya Dawa Festival has also attracted more tourists, boosting the peak tourism season. Nyima Tsering, a local ship owner, has often got his hands full with tourists flocking to buy souvenirs, particularly Tibetan handicrafts. He often teaches tourists how to identify real and fake products, saying, "The fake ones and real ones have their respective prices and I will never mix them up," which is his business principle.

During the Saga Dawa festival, over thousand Tibetan pilgrims were reported to have taken ritual walks per hour. You can travel to Tibet to do pilgrimage with them.

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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