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The Saga Dawa festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 4th Tibetan month and is one of the most important religious festivals celebrated in Tibet. This auspicious day coincides with three important events in Buddha's life namely his birth, nirvana and parinirvana (death). Since the Saga Dawa festival falls on the holiest month of the Tibetan calendar, it is believed that good deeds and prayers are multiplied thousand fold during this event. So we can see everyone immersed in prayers and trying to appease the gods.
During the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, many people refrain from killing animals and give out alms to everyone who comes asking for it. There may not be overt celebrations everywhere, but even then you can easily discern the festive spirit in the air during the Saga Dawa festival. If you are in Tibet around that time, don't forget to be a part of the huge crowd that visits the Dzongyab Lukhang Park at the foot of Potala for a late afternoon picnic. In fact, this has become some sort of a yearly ritual for the people in Tibet.
Saga Dawa festival is celebrated every year at Tarboche. Pilgrims from all over Tibet gather at this sacred place to ritually take down the flag pole to replace the old prayer flags with new ones. The flagpole is covered with prayer flags and stands some 80 feet high. Then they raise the Tarboche flag pole back up and circumambulate it in a clockwise direction while conches, horns, and other instruments are played to welcome the rising flagpole. The flagpole is also carefully scrutinized by the Tibetans to look for omens. If it is directly straight up, then the year will be prosperous with no diseases, healthy livestock, and good crop harvests. If the flagpole is leaning towards Kailash, it is an omen for suffering from famines, diseases, and untimely deaths. When the flagpole tilts away from Kailash, alarm is generated in the people as well.
