Ganden Thangka Unveiling Festival on the 15th day of the 6th month of the Tibetan calendar

Ganden Monastery is located at the top of Wangbur Mountain, about 36 kilometers from the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The monastery was found in 1490 by Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. As the first monastery of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, it attracts lots of believers and international tourists to visit during the Thangka Unveiling Festival. So, a Tibet tour to Ganden Monastery around the 15th day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar will be a good choice to experience this grand festival.

Ganden Thangka Unveiling Festival

Unveiling Thangka of Buddha is a unique religious tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In fact, nearly all Tibetan Buddhism monasteries have their own collection of various Buddha thangkas. Because of the techniques of making those precious thangkas and the materials, lamas in every monastery will unveil the giant thangka that they preserved well inside. The festivals are mainly held for people to worship the thangkas of Buddha, but also to disinfect those thangkas in case they will be damaged by the humid environment. So, monasteries like Drepung Monastery, Tashilunpo Monastery, Ganden Monastery will hold festivals to unveil their thangkas of Buddha on different days. Those Thangka Unveiling Festivals in Tibet are well-known.

On the day of Ganden Thangka Festival, many locals and tourists will come to Ganden Monastery before sunrise. They will lit up mulberry branches on the hillside and hang prayer flags with the names of their family members to seek happiness and blessing for them. The smoke and smell of the intense will make the whole monastery look solemn and peaceful. Once it starts, those believers who are in their finest clothes will step into every hall of Ganden Monastery to worship the Buddhism statues and pray for the blessings from Buddhas. After that, all pilgrims will come out to wait for the unveiling of the giant thangka.

Ganden Thangka Unveiling Festival

When people see lamas step into the center of the stage, they know the unveiling rite finally begins. As those lamas chant scriptures, people will also cheer up and roll their prayer wheels to make the moment more heart-shaking. Lamas will tie the rope to the upper end of the thangka and it will slowly rise to show the whole Buddha image gradually. After lamas bring the thangka into the monastery to preserve, family parties will begin and people will eat food and have fun together to share the happiness.