Saga Dawa Festival in 2026 at Mount Kailash: What You Should Know

Saga Dawa Festival is also known as the Buddha's auspicious day. The fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, commonly known as Saga Dawa, is also referred to as Di Su Month. It is the month when the Buddha Sakyamuni was born, achieved enlightenment, and passed away. Tibetan Buddhist believers regard this month as a month of creation and auspiciousness, during which the majority of believers get up early to murmur prayers and sutra while spinning prayer wheels, go to Buddha, and do good deeds. Various prayer and commemorative activities are also held in temples throughout the region.

What is the Saga Dawa Festival?

The origin of the Saga Dawa Festival is closely related to the life of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, and mainly commemorates his three key events: birth, enlightenment, and nirvana.

According to relevant articles such as "Eighty Recitations", on the seventh day of the fourth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar in 563 BC, Sakyamuni (named Prince Gautama Siddhartha at the time) came to Lumbini in Nepal. On the seventh day of his birth, his mother, Madame Maya, passed away and ascended to the Litian. So the Buddha shone brightly and showed all kinds of auspiciousness to worship Sakyamuni and commemorate Madame Maya. Therefore, April 15th is also called "Buddha's Day" or "Buddha's Auspicious Day".

At the age of 29, when Sakyamuni was on a tour, he met the elderly, the sick, the dead, and the practitioners. He was deeply moved by the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death in the world, but he was not allowed to escape from suffering and decided to become a monk to practice the Tao. After practicing asceticism in the ascetic forest for 6 years, on the fifteenth day of April, 19th of the Tibetan calendar, he realized the truth and became a Buddha.

45 years later, Sakyamuni passed away on the bank of the batihe on the 15th day of April, 19th of the Tibetan calendar.

During Sakyamuni's life, birth, enlightenment, and nirvana were all in the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, and the fifteenth month of Sakyamuni's Buddhahood and passing away also became the main celebration of the Saga Dawa Festival.

2026 Saga Dawa Festival Celebration and Tibetan Culture

There are many important activities in the Saga Dawa Festival, such as the Mount Kailash Kora, walking around the sacred Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, murmuring prayers and sutra while spinning prayer wheels, and pilgrims burn juniper branches in Weisang at various points etc.

Mount Kailash Kora: The Soul of the Celebration

Mount Kailash Kora is a traditional religious activity of Tibetans. Believers walk around the mountain to accumulate merits, purify their souls, and pray for future peace, health, and happiness. During the Saga Dawa Festival, trekking around the mountain was particularly grand. Believers believed that completing the kora on this day would gain greater blessings and merits, help them eliminate sins, enhance wisdom, and express their most pious respect to the Buddha. In addition, on this day, a new flagpole will be erected at Tarboche. This ritual symbolizes the inheritance of faith and the beginning of new hope.

In 2026, it happens to be the Year of the Horse, which is once every 12 years. According to legend, the Year of the Horse is the year of Sakyamuni's zodiac. This year, the merits of the Mount Kailash Kora doubled. One round is equivalent to the thirteen rounds of the usual, which can help eliminate karma and accumulate blessings, and is of great significance.

Kailash Kora during the Saga Dawa Festival

Lhasa is One of the Best Place to Go for Saga Dawa Festival

If you plan to visit Tibet during the Saga Dawa Festival, then Lhasa is one of the best places to attend this festival. In Lhasa, the Saga Dawa Festival has become a major event in the lives of the Tibetan people, and this holy city is a wonderful place at this time.

Circumambulate in Lhasa

There are four circumambulation routes in Lhasa. One is Langkhor, which surrounds Juekang, the main hall of the Jokhang Temple. The whole journey is full of Dharma wheels, about 500 meters long, and is the inner ring line. "Langkhor" in Tibetan means inner ring. The second is Bakhor Street, which surrounds the Jokhang Temple for one round, about 1,000 meters long, which is the central ring line. The Tibetan word "Barkhor" means the central ring line. The third is Lingkhor Road, which surrounds the old city of Lhasa, about 5,000 meters long, which is the outer ring line. The Tibetan word "Lingkhor", which means the outer ring line. In addition to the above three more classic routes, there is also the last, called "Zikhor". The Zikuo is larger than the Barkhor, and the road is longer. The essence of it lies in the linking of Zongjiaolukang Park and the Potala Palace together. Walking on Zikhor has a heavy sense of history, but more of it is to enjoy the scenery of the most beautiful park in Lhasa. Zikhor, like Langkhor and Barkhor Street, is very well-known in Lhasa. Every day, there are a lot of people in Langkhor, Barkhor and Zikhor Road, and Lingkhor Road is the route for people to make pilgrimages on important days

Pilgrims kora around the Barkhor Street

Pilgrims Burn Juniper Branches

During the festival, most temples will hold a ritual called Weisang. The smoke rolled on the high platform, and the cypress branches made a crisp sound in the fire. People will grab tsampa from their pockets and throw it onto the fire. Then they took out one or two more bundles of cypress branches and added them to the fire, and they prayed loudly. After the ceremony, believers will not leave immediately. They will walk to the divine stone beside them and kowtow to worship, rub the stone wall, and express their respect for the Buddha.

A grand Sangsol ritual

Pilgrims Release Animals

The animal release ceremony, a sacred practice during the Saga Dawa Festival, embodies compassion and spiritual merit. During this season, people release fish, birds, and other creatures to honor life's preciousness. This ritual not only shows mercy toward animals but also serves as a spiritual practice: accumulating virtuous karma, purifying negative actions, and seeking better rebirth in the next life.

Pilgrims Will Become Vegetarians

The fasting during the Saga Dawa Festival is also part of devotees’ spiritual practice, purifying the body and mind through this act to accumulate merit, symbolizing the renunciation of bad habits and the cultivation of inner purity and compassion. During the festival, people not only primarily consume vegetarian food, but some practitioners will abstain from eating starting at noon to demonstrate respect for life and adherence to Buddhist teachings. If you visit Xizang during the festival, do not casually invite Tibetan friends to share meals with you, as they may be observing fasting.

When is Saga Dawa Festival in 2026? 31st, May

The Saga Dawa Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Tibetan calendar, and usually it falls in May or June of the Gregorian calendar. The next Saga Dawa Festival will be held on May 31, 2026. Apart from the most important day, the celebration of the Saga Dawa Festival will last for nearly a month. If you want to come to Tibet during the Saga Dawa Festival in 2026 and experience this grand festival, it is recommended that you contact us in advance. Next year coincides with the Year of the Horse, which is the golden year for going to Tibet and Mount Kailash. So, no matter whether you are a believer or an ordinary tourist who wants to feel the mystery of the sacred mountain, 2026 is a rare fate and opportunity.

How to Plan a Saga Dawa Festival Tour in 2026?

The next Saga Dawa Festival will be held on May 31, 2026. This is also the Year of the Horse, which is an important year for the Pilgrimage. Pilgrim believes that the one kora around Mount Kailash in the Year of the Horse is equivalent to the thirteen of a normal year. Therefore, 2026 will be the peak of visiting Mount Kailash.

To ensure you can successfully travel to Mount Kailash during the 2026 Saga Dawa Festival, it is best to arrange your itinerary as soon as possible. Due to limited accommodations, transfers, and tour guides, it is recommended that you book your 2026 Saga Dawa Festival Mount Kailash Tour in advance.

Every year, we receive hundreds of international tourists during the Saga Dawa Festival. Whether you want to immerse yourself in Lhasa or experience the kora and purify your soul, we can arrange your itinerary according to your requirements and experience this sacred festival smoothly.

More Facts about Saga Dawa Festival

Why is Saga Dawa Festival also Called the Poor’s Day

While this festival commemorates significant events in the Buddha's life, it is also celebrated for people's generosity toward the poor. During the celebrations, devotees distribute food, clothing, and money to those in need on the streets. Both monks and beggars receive generous donations from devotees. Many impoverished individuals eagerly await this day, Tibetans believe that doing good deeds during this month can increase merit a thousandfold, hence its name 'Poor's Day'.

Where can you enjoy the Saga Dawa Festival?

The Saga Dawa Festival has its roots in Tibet, where the main celebrations are concentrated in Lhasa and Mount Kailash. But it is now celebrated all over the world, especially in countries with sizable Tibetan Buddhist populations like Nepal, Bhutan, India, and Mongolia, and at Tibetan Buddhist centers in other parts of the world.

Conclusion

Among all the festivals in Tibet, Sagadawa is the most important and devout Buddhist festival, and almost every Tibetan will participate. This is a great opportunity to experience the fullest beliefs of Tibetan Buddhists and learn more about the unique religious culture that flourishes on the roof of the world. To better experience the Saga Dawa Festival, we recommend booking your journey with us as early as possible. TravelKailsh would facilitate your tour of Tibet during the Saga Dawa Festival.