2008 is a special year in Tibetan Buddhism, when pilgrimage is particularly meritorious. During the period of the Saga Dawa month, one circumambulating of the mountain is popularly considered to have the merit of a 100 thousand times on top of that to be purifying one life time.

Saga Dawa is an important Tibetan Buddhist festival, held each year on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar, to celebrate Sakyamuni Buddha’s day of enlightenment and Para nirvana. At time for the full moon of Saga Dawa more pilgrims than usual visit Kailash. In Tarpochen, at the foot of the holy mountain, there will be a big Buddhist festival. Tarpochen represents the navel of the world and every year Tibetans erect here a giant pole while many other ceremonies and rituals are carried out. This is certainly the most important day for Tibetan pilgrims at Mt. Kailash.

They pray and throw 'wind horses' (little pieces of colored paper with Buddhist scriptures on them) into the air.The Saga Dawa festival has been held here for the last thousand years... Having been part just once is such a powerful experience.

Day to Day Outline Itinerary