Fairy Festival on the 15th day of the 10th month in Tibetan Calendar

The Fairy Festival falls on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month in the Tibetan calendar. It is also known as Palden Lhamo Festival as it is the celebration to honor the female deity called Palden Lhamo, a protector deity of Tibetan Buddhism. On this day, Tibetan women will get up early and dress up to burn juniper branches and pray in Barkhor Street. Then they will go to Jokhang Temple to offer Hada, highland barley and wine to the deity and pray for safety and happiness.

Tibetan Girls on Fairy Festival in Lhasa

A story tells that once upon a time Palden Lhamo was a beautiful young lady. But later her secret relationship with a handsome young man was discovered, making her mother very unhappy about it. Her mother thought she was mischievous and disobedient, which is the reason why she cursed Palden Lhamo and transformed her into a frog-faced lady and banished that young man to be a mountain just south of Lhasa. But Palden Lhamo got one day to meet her lover once a year, which is the day of Palden Lhamo festival. It is a tradition that the image of Palden Lhamo will be displayed in Jokhang Temple and faced south.

Pilgrims from all over Tibet will travel to Lhasa on this day to worship the statue of the frag-faced Palden Lhamo and the statue of King Songtsen Gampo at Jokhang Temple. Just because Palden Lhamo is the only female Dharma protector common to all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, this festival is especially celebrated by local Tibetan women. On this day, those women will get up early and dress in traditional clothes, bringing barley wine, fresh fruits, Hadas, and incense sticks to Jokhang Temple to offer to the statues and asking for their blessings. Thus, smoke from burning juniper branches and the sound of prayers will be everywhere in Barkhor Street.