TIBETAN FESTIVALS IN 2013 Tibetan lunar Date Name of the festivals About the festivals date 1stof the 12th lunar 2013,1,12 Farmers new year or the sonam pey losar The farmers will celebrate the extra new year before the real new years month of the Tibetan lunar new year. 29thof the 12th lunar 2013,2,9 During that time dancing monks can be seen at Tsurphu, Mindroling and month Tashi Lhunpo monasteries. This is held to dispel the evil of the old year Gu thuk or the year end festival 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 2013,2,11 Losar or Tibetan new year festivals Losar is a colourful week. Lhasa is the best place to be. The streets are month 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 2013,5,20 Tsurphu Cham or the Cham dancing festivals Processions and the unfurling of a great thangkha are the highlights of month this festival. 15th of the 4th lunar 2013,5,25 Saga dawa or the festivals of the Sakyamuni’s Marks the date of sakyamuni’s conception, enlightenment and entry into month enlightenment. nirvana. Huge numbers of pilgrims walk Lhasa’s lingkhor circuit and visit Mt Kailash. 15th to 18th of the 5th 2013,6,23 to Gyantse horse racing festival Though authorities are trying to fix the date in the Gregorian calendar to lunar month 2013,6,26 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 2013,6,21 Tashi lhunpo festival Shigatse’s tashi lhunpo monastery becomes the scene of three days of month festivals. A huge thangkha is unveiled and cham dances are performed. 15th of the 5th lunar 2013,6,23 Samye and Trandruk monastery Cham Held from the 15th for two or three days. Special ceremonies and cham month festival dancing in front of the utse are the main attractions. 4th of the 6th lunar 2013,7,12 Choerkor Dhuchen festival This festival celebrates Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath near Varanasi month 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 2013,7,22 Ganden thangka festival During that time Ganden monastery display its 25 holiest relics, which month are normal locked away. A large offering ceremony accompanies the unveiling. 30th of the 6th lunar 2013,8,6 Shotun festival or the yogurt festival During that time early in the morning at Drebung and Sera monasteries month 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 2013,9,9 Karma doeba or the bathing festival During that time the local people washing away the grime of the month previous year in an act of purification that coincides with the week- long. 1st to 15th of the 8th 2013,9,6-2013,9,20 Ong kor festival Tibetans in central Tibet get together and party in celebration of the lunar month upcoming harvest. 22nd of the 9th 2013,11,24 Lhabab dhuchen or the Buddha’s descent During that time there are large numbers of pilgrims in Lhasa. Ladders lunar month from heaven festival are painted afresh on rocks around many monasteries to symbolize the event. 15th of the 10th lunar 2013,12,17 Pelhe doenchar or the palden lhamo’s festival During that time a procession in Lhasa around the Bhakor bearing month Palden Lhamo, protective deity of the Jhokang temple. 25th of the 10th lunar 2013,12,27 Ganden Ngamchoe or Tsongkha pa festival During that time respect is shown to Tsongkha pa, the founder of the month Geluk pa order. With the remembrance of Tsongkha pa all the monastery and the houses light fire the yak butter lamp..