It is mostly celebrated in the Buddhist communities living in the State of Sikkim. It is celebrated on the full moon day that falls in the middle of the Tibetan lunar month called the Saga Dawa. This day is considered to be a very auspicious day for the Tibetan community.
This falls between May and June and this month is called the Saga Dawa or the ‘Month of merits’.
The festival is celebrated to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death (parinirvana) of the Buddha. Most people make a pilgrimage to the monasteries and offer incense sticks, Dhog and water. People also circumambulate the Gompas of the monastery and chant mantras, recite the religious texts and turn the prayer wheels. All through the month of Saga Dawa, the community of Buddhists has to follow three teachings of Buddhism: generosity (dana), morality (sila), and meditation or good feelings (bhavana).
