Festivals & Events in Sertar(Serthar or Seda)

Festivals in Sertar(Serthar or Seda) are mainly religious activities, especially four large-scale Buddhist Events every year in Larung Gar Buddhist Academy.

there are 4 most important Buddhist Praying Ceremonies every Year: Vidyadhara Praying Ceremony, Vajrasattva Praying Ceremony, Samantabhadra Praying Ceremony and Sukhavāti Praying Ceremony.

Every year during Praying Ceremony there are thousands of believers coming from all directions. Hotels will be very expensive during this time.

Date of Buddhist Praying Ceremonies of Larung Gar in 2016:

Vidyadhara Praying Ceremony: 15 days, from the first day of the tibetan new year in tibetan calendar; Feb, 2017 according to gregorian calendar.
Vajrasattva Praying Ceremony: 8 days,  from Apr. 8th in tibetan calendar; May -st, 2017 according to gregorian calendar.

Samantabhadra Praying Ceremony: 8 days, from June 1st in tibetan calendar; Aug.  – , 2017. according gregorian calendar.
Sukhavāti  Praying Ceremony(The Bliss Dharma Assembly): 8 days, from Sep. 18th in tibetan calendar; Nov. 6th – 13th, 2017 according gregorian calendar.

People use Tibetan calendar in Sertar(Serthar or Seda) area, so the New Year in Tibetan calendar is one month late than traditional New Year in lunar calendar. Thus the time of Puja every year is different according to Tibetan calendar, you can check more information on http://www.zhibeifw.com/.

Sertar(Serthar or Seda) Jinma Festival

Jinma Festival is the important festival for herdsmen to worship God in Sertar(Serthar or Seda), AKA “Jisang” Festival. Herdsmen imprint scriptures meaning blessing on colorful cloth, and decorate scripture flags with white, red, yellow, green and blue cloth. Men ride their horse to the festival gathering, bringing gun decorated with scripture flags and a small bag for smoke offering. After people from all directions come to God mountain or God gathering, local Buddha and monks begin worship God rituals with fire, and hold a big fire offering.
Time: May 4th in Tibetan calendar
Location: Dengdeng Qudeng Pogoda
There are also many memorial activities on pasture in other towns.

Sukhavāti  Praying Ceremony(The Bliss Dharma Assembly):

The Bliss Dharma Assembly is the last of four annual Buddhist assemblies. September in Tibetan calendar is Heaven month, so School holds a Bliss Puja lasting for 8 days at that time. Buddha’s mother, died soon after Buddha was born, and went to Heaven. After Sakyamuni became Buddha, in order to go to Heaven for his mother, he once again returned back Samsara, so it is called memorial day of Jiangfan Festival. In September in Tibetan calendar, if people can do good thing without interests, they will be blessed by Buddha and be benefited by Sangha.
Content of Sangha: to read the holy name of Buddha or mantra, the holy name of Avalokiteshvara or Om Mani Padme Hung, liberation for survival, transgression and so on
Time: in September of Tibetan calendar, lasting for 8 days.

Gesar Rap Festival

Sertar(Serthar or Seda) Pasture was jurisdiction area of King Gesar, and people in Sertar(Serthar or Seda) are also offspring of King Gesar tribe and keep many relics of monument of Gesar. Biography of King Gesar is “the longest alive epic in the world”, regarded as “Oriental Iliad”. Nowadays over 140 versions of Bibliography of King Gesar, about 15,000,000 words. People use rap to play stories of King Gesar, with thousands of years of history. Nowadays it is also the world immaterial heritage. During period of Gesar Rap Festival, you will see Gesar rap performance, Tibetan play performance and Tibetan plays which you cannot see on usual days.
Time: on August 8th in Tibetan calendar
Location: Sertar(Serthar or Seda) County

Vidyadhara Praying Ceremony

Start on the first day of the New Year in Tibetan calendar, Vidyadhara Praying Ceremony will last for 15 days. From the perspective of Buddhism, Shenbianyue is a very good day, especially on First Quarter (from 1st to 15th on every month). When Sakyamuni became Buddha, he conquered 6 masters within division and develop Buddhism with his holy abilities. Thus, every day of these 15 days is an auspicious day, believers will be blessed if they do good deeds on these days.
There are hundreds of thousands of monks participating Vajrasattva Puja in School every year, including Vidyadhara-Holders and siddhas. During this period, monks finish nine deity Guanyin mantra, as well as chopa and transgression.
Time: on the first day of the New Year in Tibetan calendar, lasting for 15 days

Vajrasattva Praying Ceremony

April in Tibetan calendar is Sakya month, is a festival for Tibetan Buddhist to memory the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of Buddha Sakyamuni (some says that Sakyamuni also became a monk in this month). Sakya Month is also called as Sudi Month. Sudi appears from March 30 to April 15 every month in Tibetan calendar, so it is called as Sakadawa. The 15th day of Sakya Month is Visakah Festival in Tibetan calendar, AKA Full Moon Festival, Pishequ Festival, Vaisya Festival, and Visakah Day.
This day is the full moon day of Vaisya Month, on June 15 in lunar calendar in India. This festival is to memory Buddha’s wisdom of enlightenment of self, enlightenment of others and the perfecting of enlightened practice, to develop Buddha teachings of mercy and equality, and to advocate world peace. Tibetan Buddhism is not divided into different schools, especially cherishing Sakya Month, so this month is the holiest month of a year.
Content of main Sangha on Vajrasattva Puja: Rong Hai Master, Vajrasattva mantra, liberation for survival, transgression, etc.

Samantabhadra Praying Ceremony

This Puja is held on June 1st in Tibetan calendar, lasting for 8 days, to memory Buddha transferred to Dharma-cakra at Sarnath while five bhiksu are listening to Him. This festival is also called as Ksitigarbha Puja, including Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. This bodhisattva has golden body, located at south in Tantric Mandala, representing growth. This growth means increasing blessings, wisdom, life, wealth and careers, mainly for the increase of public welfare.
Sangha Content: the holy name of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Willingness and Deeds, liberation for survival, transgression, etc.
Time: June 1st to June 8th in Tibetan calendar

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