SAGA DAWA FESTIVAL TOUR
The most important festival in Tibet is SAGA DAWA Festival' commemorates Shakyamuni's Buddha hood and the death of his mortal body. At every monastery sutras are recited and 'Cham' dances are performed. It is said that good deeds in the month of this festival deserve 300 fold in return and this leads many people to donate large sums to the religious orders, monasteries and to the beggars that gather at this time of year. During Saga Dawa, the karmic results of virtuous and non-virtuous actions are magnified and it is believed that the merit earned on this day is multiplied. As a result, the tradition in the Tibetan community is to make offerings to their temple, Lama, and their community. One important offering that is made is to poor people. Tibetans in Tibet, India, Nepal etc., give beggars money during this time. Some Tibetans also give money to save the lives of animals. For instance, giving a butcher money to save the life of a sheep. Then this sheep is taken to a herdsman who is paid regularly by the "sponsor" to take care of the animal. The karmic merit thought to accumulate from these actions, if the motivation is correct, can be enormous.
Itinerary:
Days 1-2: Kathmandu
Buy everything from Buddhas to bangles in the busy markets of Kathmandu.
Days 3-7: Lhasa
Steeped in colourful legends and traditions, colourful Lhasa is Tibet's holy city.
Day 8: Gyantse
Take time to explore the Gyantse Kumbum a 3 dimensional mandala, or model of the Buddhist universe. Make the dizzying pilgrimage up its 5 storeys, winding your way through increasingly narrow passages.
Day 9: Shigatse
Join pilgrims on their evening kora around the Tashilhunpo Monastery.
Day 10: Sakya
Admire the well-fortified citadel of Sakya.
Day 11: Saga
Journey to Mt Kailash, the holiest mountain in Asia.
Day 12: Paryang
See where the four great rivers of south Asia diverge from their glacial sources around Mt Kailash.
Day 13: Darchen
Take in views of the Himalayas and spend a night in windy Darchen.
Day 14: Saga Dawa Festival
Celebrate Sakyamuni's (Buddha) birth and attainment of nirvana at the foot of the holy Mt Kailash. Watch as devotees gather to erect a huge flagpole covered in prayer flags fluttering in the wind. The Saga Dawa festival has been held here for the past thousand years and is relatively unchanged. Join pilgrims to circumbate the pole and its colourful flags.
Day 15-17: Mt Kailash
Trek on Mt Kailash, camping at a Gompa and traversing high passes to reach Tuje Dzingbu (the bathing pool of compassion), one of the world's highest lakes.
Days 18-19: Paryang/Saga
Begin the journey towards Mt Everest.
Day 20: Lao Tingri
Enjoy spectacular views from the tiny Tibetan village of Lao Tingri.
Day 21: Everest
Visit the world's highest monastery, Rongphu, and grab a chance to venture up to Everest Base Camp.
Day 22: Nyalam
Head off the Himalayan plateau to Nyalum.
Days 23-24 Kathmandu
Enjoy a final feast in Kathmandu.
The Kingdom of Nepal is well
known as one of the best desti-
nations in the world for enjoying the real beauty of nature through trekking. The trail into the interior parts of the country follows ancient foot-trails which meander through scenic river-banks, intricately terraced fields and the forested ridges connecting