Pilgrims arrive in Tibet for Saga Dawa
Flash In Tibetan culture, Buddhism is undoubtedly one of its most important elements. To date, over one thousand temples have been founded across the Tibetan Autonomous Region. And as Zhou Xiran tells us, the most sacred and irreplaceable temple for most Tibetans is the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. It's the 15th morning of the 4th month of the Tibetan Calendar. When most people are still asleep, a new day has already started in Jokhang Temple. Many pilgrims, under the moonlight, have been making their way along the long road of prayer. The entire 4th month of the Tibetan Lunar calendar is called Saga Dawa. Several pivotal events in Buddha's life happened in this month, including his birth, his enlightment, his first sermon, his death and release into nirvana. It's said that the month of Saga Dawa is so sacred that any merit obtained for the performance of a good deed or religious practice is doubled. With the monks lighting up blessing butter lamps, trimming the cassock on the statue of Buddha at age 12, and the humming of prayers, the Temple is ready to open its doors to the pilgrims. A long queue has already formed - it's non-stop from early morning till the end of the day. The pilgrims can only edge slowly forward towards their destination -- the life-sized statue of Buddha at age 12, the holiest object in Tibet. For the pilgrims, to take a look at the statue in Jokhang Temple means having a dialogue with Buddha. Pilgrim from Yunnan province said, "We are from Yunnan province. Our family came here together, from Shangrila in Yunnan. We feel so happy and excited because we are about to see the Buddha, the deity."
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