Tibet's Sakadawa Festival Begins

People pray outside the front entrance to the Jokhang Temple.



The fabulous Jokhang roof.




Today is the start of the Festival of Sakadawa in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. It is celebrated by Tibetan Buddhists all over the country.

It is a celebration of the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. The festival lasts for four weeks. The picture above shows people praying in front of the statue of Buddha in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.

This temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Potala Palace which was the residence of the Dalai Lama. This was the first Buddhist Temple to be built in Tibet around 605-650CE. Originally it was named Tsulag Kang which means ‘House of Wisdom’ but it was renamed ‘Jokhang’ or ‘House of the Buddha.

The fabulous building with its amazingly detailed and beautiful artwork is the most sacred and most important temple in Tibet.