Tibetan Calendar and Festivals 2013 Free Download

Tibetan lunar date

Date

Name of the festivals

About the festivals

1stof the 12th lunar month

2013,1,12

Farmers new year or the sonam pey losar

The farmers will celebrate the extra new year before the real new years of the Tibetan lunar new year.

29thof the 12th  lunar month

2013,2,9

Gu thuk or the year end festival

During that time dancing monks can be seen at Tsurphu, mindroling and Tashi lhunpo monastery. This is held to dispel the evil of the old year and auspiciously usher in the new one.  And by the same time the Tibetan families clean their houses in the preparation for the new year. And also a huge thangkha is unveiled the following day at the tsurphu monastery.

1st of the 1st  lunar month

2013,2,11

Losar or Tibetan new year festivals

Losar is a colourful week. Lhasa is the best place to be. The streets are thronged with Tibetan dressed in their finest. New year pray flags are hang in the monasteries, on the houses and the mountains.

10th of the 4th lunar month

2013,5,20

Tsurphu Cham or the Cham dancing festivals

Processions and the unfurling of a great thangkha are the highlights of this festival.

15th of the 4th lunar month

2013,5,25

Saga dawa or the festivals of the Sakyamuni’s enlightenment.

Marks the date of sakyamuni’s conception, enlightenment and entry into nirvana. Huge numbers of pilgrims walk Lhasa’s lingkhor circuit and visit Mt Kailash.

15th to 18th of the 5th lunar month

2013,6,23 to 2013,6,26

Gyantse horse racing festival

Though authorities are trying to fix the date in the Gregorian calendar to boost tourism. The fun and games include dance, yak races, archery and equestrian events. A large 480-year old thangkha is unfurled at sunrise.

13th of the 5th lunar month

2013,6,21

Tashi lhunpo festival

Shigatse’s tashi lhunpo monastery becomes the scene of three days of festivals. A huge thangkha is unveiled and cham dances are performed.

15th of the 5th lunar month

2013,6,23

Samye and Trandruk monastery Cham festival

Held from the 15th for two or three days. Special ceremonies and cham dancing in front of the utse are the main attractions.

4th of the 6th lunar month

2013,7,12

Choerkor Dhuchen festival

This festival celebrates Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath near Varanasi in India. Many pilgrims climb the Mt gyambu utse and also the ridge from pabonka to the dode valley, to burn the incense.

15th of the 6th lunar month

2013,7,22

Ganden thangka festival

During that time ganden monastery display its 25 holiest relics, which are normal locked away. A large offering ceremony accompanies the unveiling.

30th of the 6th lunar month

2013,8,6

Shotun festival or the yogurt festival

During that time early in the morning at drebung and sera monastery will hanging huge thangkha and then after that most of the Tibetans will go to Norbu lingkha watch Tibetan opera dancing and then there will spend the rest of the time with there families having a picnics.

4th of the 8th lunar month

2013,9,9

Karma doeba or the bathing festival

During that time the local people washing away the grime of the previous year in an act of purification that coincides with the week- long.

1st to 15th of the 8th lunar month

2013,9,6-2013,9,20

Ong kor festival

Tibetans in central Tibet get together and party in celebration of the upcoming harvest.

22nd of the 9th   lunar month

2013,11,24

Lhabab dhuchen or the Buddha’s descent from heaven festival

During that time there are large numbers of pilgrims in Lhasa. Ladders are painted afresh on rocks around many monasteries to symbolize the event.

15th of the 10th lunar month

2013,12,17

Pelhe doenchar or the palden lhamo’s festival

During that time a procession in Lhasa around the Bhakor bearing Palden Lhamo, protective deity of the Jhokang temple.

25th of the 10th lunar month

2013,12,27

Ganden Ngamchoe or Tsongkha pa festival

During that time respect is shown to Tsongkha pa. the founder of the Geluk pa order. with the remembrance of Tsongkha pa all the monastery and the houses light fire the yak butter lamp.