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Overview of the Saga Dawa Festival Tour at Mount Kailash (2026)
The Saga Dawa Festival is one of the most important and revered celebrations in Tibetan Buddhism. Celebrated on the full moon day of the fourth Tibetan month (according to the lunar calendar), it marks the birth, nirvana, and death of Sakyamuni Buddha. This sacred festival draws pilgrims from all corners of Tibet and the world, as it is believed that performing spiritual rituals during this time brings immense blessings and positive karma.
During this month-long festival, locals and pilgrims gather with prayer flags to participate in the rituals and raise a huge flagpole as part of the festivities at Mount Kailash. The main event, known as the Tarboche Flagpole Ceremony, takes place on the first day of the Kailash Kora (circumambulation around Mount Kailash) and is led by a qualified Tibetan Lama from a nearby monastery. This is a powerful and spiritually enriching experience, as participants offer prayers, perform rituals, and walk around the holy Mount Kailash in hopes of securing a better life in their next birth.
Magical Atmosphere of the Festival
The entire region around Mount Kailash comes alive during the Saga Dawa Festival, with colorful prayer flags fluttering in the wind, monks chanting prayers, and locals engrossed in their rituals. This spiritual ambiance is unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Pilgrims and locals join together in a sacred Kora a circumambulation of Mount Kailash reciting prayers and performing rituals to cleanse themselves of sins and earn blessings for the future. It is believed that completing this spiritual journey around Kailash during the festival brings immense good luck and positive karma.
Tarboche Flagpole Ceremony - The Heart of Saga Dawa
The most iconic and visually awe-inspiring moment of the Saga Dawa Festival is the Tarboche Flagpole Ceremony. A giant flagpole, located at the start of the Kailash Kora, is replaced every year during the festival. This massive pole holds profound spiritual significance for the Tibetan people. When the new flagpole is erected, the Tibetan Lama from a nearby monastery leads the ceremony, and it must be placed perfectly straight and upright. It is believed that if the flagpole is not standing properly, it will bring bad luck to Tibet. Watching the locals and pilgrims add their prayer flags to the pole, and feeling the powerful energy of the crowd during this sacred event, is a deeply moving experience.
A Journey into Tibetan Culture and Beliefs
The Saga Dawa Festival Tour offers more than just a spiritual experience—it provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich culture and traditions of Tibet. Visitors can explore local markets, where Tibetan crafts and religious offerings are sold, and observe the local lifestyle of the authentic Tibetan people. The tour also offers the chance to visit ancient monasteries, interact with local Lamas, and engage in traditional Tibetan activities.
This is an unforgettable cultural and spiritual experience that allows visitors to witness the vibrant, living traditions of Tibet while connecting with the profound spiritual significance of Mount Kailash.
Key Highlights of the Saga Dawa Festival Tour 2026
Tarboche Flagpole Ceremony: Witness the sacred replacement of the Tarboche Flagpole during the festival. Locals and pilgrims add their own prayer flags to the new pole, making it an awe-inspiring ritual.
Spiritual Kora: Participate in the Kora, the spiritual circumambulation around Mount Kailash, one of the most sacred sites in Tibetan Buddhism. This act is believed to cleanse the soul and bring spiritual blessings.
Traditional Tibetan Rituals: Enjoy the rich cultural atmosphere as locals engage in praying, chanting, dancing, and worshipping. You’ll have the opportunity to join in these activities, offering prayers, visiting monasteries, and learning about Tibetan Buddhist practices.
Sacred Sites of Tibet: Explore the sacred Lake Mansarovar and the Mount Kailash region, two of the holiest places in Tibet, before embarking on a spiritual journey through Tibetan villages, monasteries, and high mountain passes.
Date for Saga Dawa Festival
Festival Date: 31st May 2026
Tour Dates: 01 June 2026 – 16 June 2026
Required Documents for Kailash Trip
To process your Tibet Visa for the Kailash Trip, please ensure the following documents are ready:
1. Passport Copy:
Requirement: Submit a clear copy of your passport at least 20 days in advance for Tibet Travel Permit processing.
2. Original Passport:
Requirement: Bring your original passport when your group arrives in Kathmandu. We will need to submit it to the Chinese Embassy to obtain your Tibet Visa.
3. Passport Size Picture:
Requirement: Provide one recent passport-size photo with the following specifications:
White background.
Front-facing (both ears visible).
No eyeglasses and no smiling.
4. Visa Application Form:
Requirement: Complete the visa application form before your arrival and ensure it is filled out correctly.
How to Process Tibet Visa in Kathmandu
As per new rules from the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, a minimum of 5 people is required to process a Tibet Group Visa.
The visa application process requires the original passport and biometric data (fingerprints and photo).
Processing time: It may take 3-4 official working days for the visa to be processed.
Important Notes:
Visa Requirements: Visa requirements and regulations can change frequently, so it’s advisable to double-check with All Nepal Hiking before booking your Tibet tour to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.
Facts about the Saga Dawa Festival
1. Saga Dawa Festival is also called “the Poor’s Day”
While the festival remembers significant events in Buddha's life, it is also recognized as a day when people donate more liberally to the impoverished.
The celebration is known as "Qiong ren jie" in Chinese, which translates as needy People's Day, and people in Tibet practice donating to monks and nuns as well as the community's needy. Tibetans believe that donating to the impoverished builds merits, especially during the month of Saga Dawa.
2. Saga Dawa festival celebrates the birth of Buddha
The Saga Dawa festival is a traditional ritual that reflects the important events in Buddha Shakyamuni's life, including his birth, Nirvana (enlightenment), and Parinirvana (death). It is done to honor Buddha's requests on his deathbed. As he lay dying, he told his disciples not to celebrate him with flowers and incense, but rather to seek to follow his teachings and live a great, empathetic life.
He advised others around him not to grieve, but rather to remember that everything turns to dust and celebrate his ascent into paradise. The event is observed by visiting temples, raising a flagpole, burning butter lamps, and conducting the ceremonial kora at various holy sites.
3. Doing kora is an important way to celebrate Saga Dawa
Making a ritual kora during Saga Dawa is a major occasion for Tibetan Buddhists, who believe that any merits collected during Saga Dawa are multiplied based on where the deeds of goodwill and compassion are performed.
It is widely thought that those who do the kora around monuments such as Jokhang Temple and Mount Kailash multiply their merits by a factor of a hundred thousand, making a single circumambulation of the site a crucial act in their journey to enlightenment.
4. Saga Dawa is about making merit
One of the most widely held beliefs is that all activities performed during the month of Saga Dawa are multiplied. It is regarded as the "merit month" because people visit temples, give freely, and undertake spiritual pilgrimages.
Throughout the month, pilgrims visit important and holy sites around the plateau, particularly the hallowed Mount Kailash, to honor Buddha by walking the pilgrim kora around the summit. Thousands of tourists visit Ngari to trek around Mount Kailash, the world's most sacred mountain.
5. Local Tibetans will become vegetarians during the Saga Dawa
Another typical practice during the Saga Dawa period was for Tibetan Buddhists to stay away from eating meat, leaving the animals to be free and living for their merits. During this month, people consume just fruits and vegetables and avoid any animal products.
Many people may even remove animals and fish and release them back into their natural habitats to gain virtue for being compassionate to animals. These behaviors are all part of the techniques to earn extra merits throughout this month of merit.
