Tibetan Festival to free captive animals

July,28 2016 BY Master Catherine Jigme 0 COMMENTS

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Freeing captive animals has become a folk culture in Tibet, especially during the Saga Dawa Festival, which is also known as a Tibetan festival to free captive animals. During the festival, Tibetan people do not kill living things and give out alms to people who need it, in order to concentrate their efforts on worshipping.

Freeing captive animals is a way for many Tibetans to pray for peace and luck, and this is quite popular with the Tibetans.

Many deliberately raise one cow or sheep that they treat like a VIP. While other cows have to do the plow and used for haulage, this special beast has no tasks at all. Generally, the cow or sheep will be set free eventually. Sometimes, a male sheep to be set free with holes pierced in the ears to hold colored stripes of cloth so as to be different. In the mountainous grasslands in Kamba, there are dozens of such sheep and their host families have totally given up their ownership.

In Kamba, more chickens are set free than cows and sheep. When a member of a family falls sick, one or several chickens are brought to a holy mountain or a monastery, where they will be set free. Some brought back home again will not be slain for meat in the future. In holy mountains and the monastery areas, there are hundreds of such free chickens.

In addition to cows, sheep and chickens, fish and wild life are also set free. Tibetan villages sitting by a river refrain from fishing and eating fish. The elderly are often seen to stand by the river for a whole day trying to persuade others not to fish or set free any fish they catch. When one finds an animal suffering from a wound, it will be fed and the wounds dressed.

Out of their strong belief, some villages determine certain parts of the surrounding area as a no-hunting region. Guards will be posted, and no one is allowed to hunt game or catch fish there. What’s more, no grass or tree can be touched; the grazing of cattle or sheep is also not allowed. Violators will have their hunting rifles, fishing nets or other articles confiscated. In serious cases, the offender will have to pay fines to the village concerned.

Related Tours:

2013 Saga Dawa Festival Tour

Kailash Saga Dawa Festival Tour

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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