Tibetan Fairy Festival

Brief Introduction of Fairy Festival

Fairy Festival is also named as Tianmu Festival, being a traditional folk-custom Festival of Tibet. In Tibetan language, people also call the Festival as Bailairizhui. On the Oct, 15th of Tibetan Lunar Calendar, from 5 o'clock in the morning, thousands of believers from all sides would gather to piously worship and pay religious homage to palden lhamo and Srongtsen Gampo, with hada and Qinghao Biejia Tang in their hands, in front of the Jokhang Temple, to greet the annually Fairy Festival. In Lhasa, Fairy Festival has become the Festival of women. They would get up early to dress up, and then they go to the Barkhor Street to burn aromatic plant and pray, at last, they would go to the Jokhang Temple to offer hada respectfully and make a vow. For women, during the Fairy Festival, they own a privilege, which is to ask for presents and red packets from the men even the strange men. At the same time, the men would loosen their purse strings generously to show the respect for the Festival.

The Origin of Fairy Festival

As for the origin, one worth mention is the palden lhamo, Bandanlamu, who used to be a person of the Indian mythology. Later on, when Srongtsen Gampo built the Jokhang Temple at Lhasa, he made the Bandanlamu as the dharma protector of the Temple. Been affected by the original Religion and folk culture, many stories and legend of earthliness color have been derived from her. In the stories, Bandanlamu became an old Tibetan woman with odd temper and three daughters. At the Fairy Festival, the Temple welcomes is the oldest daughter, Baibadongze. Though Baibadongze is not good looking, being the goddness with the face of frog, she was full of tenderness or affection and fell in love with the general, Chizunzan. When Bandanlamu knew this, she was strongly against it. In a violent rage, she drove away Chizunzan to the southern bank of Lhasa River, and made the rule that only on Oct, 15th of Tibetan Lunar Calendar can they see each other across the river. Unlucky as Baidonglaze was, she was kind and amiable to protect the women and children, so people felt sympathized over her, and they made Oct, 15th as the Fairy Festival. Nowadays, together with Srongtsen Gampo, they are set at the courtyard of Jokhang Temple, for people to worship.