Thangka Festival

A Brief Introduction to Thangka Festival

Thangka Festival is a festival celebrated mainly in the Tashilhunpo Monastery of Shigatse area. It is also a famous Tibetan festival and is also celebrated in other monasteries. For example, the Drepung Monastery will also exhibit the Buddhist Thangka during the Shoton Festival with a large scale which may even surpass that in the Tashilhunpo Monastery. But the Thangka Festival of Tashihunpo Monastery is unique. It is not only the symbol of Tashilhunpo Monastery but also the symbol of Shigatse area.

Time of Thangka Festival of Tashilhunpo Monastery

Thangka Festival is always observed from the 14th day to the 16th day of the fifth month in Tibetan calendar. In the three days, three Buddhas of Dhue Sum Sangye were successively exhibited. The figures of the three Buddhas are exhibited from 10 a.m. to 12 o'clock in the noon. Then they will be rolled up and treasured up until next year.

Platform for Thangka Exhibition

The platform for Buddhist Exhibition was built in the year of 1468 by the first Dalai to memorize the Sakyamuni. It was made from a whole huge stone with the foundation set into the body of the Nima Mountain, magnificent and spectacular. The platform for Buddhist Exhibition has been there for more than 500 years and is now still very strong and solid.

Process of Thangka Festival

The Thangka Festival is a three-day festival. Figures of three Buddhas are successively exhibited. The lamas and the Buddhist disciples will gather in the Tashilhunpo Monastery and pay their most pious respect to the figures of the three Buddhas which they believe can bless them in the year.

On the first day, the Guoqu Buddha (Buddha represents the past) is displayed on the platform for Thangka Exhibition.

On the second day, the Xianzai Buddha (Buddha represents the present) is exhibited. Xianzai Buddha is actually the Sakyamuni.

On the third day, the Weilai Buddha (Buddha represents the future) is shown on the platform.