Chotrul Duschen, the Great Prayer Festival of Tibet falls in the first lunar month of Tibetan calendar just after Tibetan Losar – New Year festivities. It was once observed with great religious fervour by the Tibetans in Tibet every year. Monks, nuns, officials, and devotees from all walks of life gather to join in the prayers and to receive the blessing of Jowo Rinpoche and the deities in Lhasa Tsuglagkhang.

The Prayer festival is also famous for the butter sculpture offerings, known as Chenga-chodpa – full-moon offering at Tsuglagkhang, Dharamshala. Butter sculpture is unique to Tibetan religious art where beautiful scared images of Buddhas, deities and animals are made on Tormas – religious cake offerings. It is displayed in the main Temple for everyone to feel the sacred images in colourful butter and to view the exquisite beauty of the offerings.

Let’s look into Tibetans around Dharamshala during Chotrul Duschen at Tsuglagkhang:

Photo Contributor: Tenzin Jigme Taydeh, Social Media Journalist, DIIR.