Tibetan Bathing Festival in early July of the Tibetan Calendar

2025-08-19 written by Mr. Karma

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Every year in early July of the Tibetan Calendar, Tibetan Bathing Festival will last one week. During this week, all Tibetan people will come out and bathe in the river as they believe it can help them wash those dirty things away from their bodies. In Tibetan, it is also called "Gamariji," which means Qishan start or Venus. If you know the legend about this festival, you will understand why Tibetan people like this festival.

A long time ago, there was a doctor who could cure any diseases on this land. He would try his best to cure people and help them recover from the illness. One year, the plague was prevalent and it took many lives. Thanks to this doctor, many people were cured by this great doctor. After he died, those people all remembered what he have done for them. But one year, the plague came again and no one was able to cure so many people. Then, a woman saw this doctor in her dream telling her to bathe in the Jiqu River the next day when a bright star started to twinkle. The next morning, she went to the river and magically she recovered. People who came to bathe in the river had all been cured. They believed that this star that would only show seven days was the incarnation of this doctor who had only seven days to cure them. From then, Tibetan people started to follow this tradition and make it a seven-day bathing festival.

Tibetan Bathing Festival

Every year during the festival, the climate will be comfortable for people to go to the river. So, lots of men, women, old and young people will come near the river and enjoy every moment there. They will play in the river, bathe and swim to clean their bodies. And they believe that the disasters, diseases, troubles and pains will be taken away by the river. Except for bathing in the river and washing their hair, they will also wash the clothes and bedding. Usually, they will invite friends and relatives to celebrate this festival and arrange picnics along the river. Tourists will see them eating tsampa, and drinking barley wine or butter tea after the bath.