Tibetan New Year begins on Sunday, and people in Lhasa have already started their celebrations. Worshippers have swarmed to the Sera Monastery to take part in a traditional ceremony, where they receive blessings from the Living Buddha, and give gifts to the temple.
At dawn on Wednesday, hoards of believers descend on the Sera Monastery in the northern suburbs of Lhasa. They've come to attend an annual ceremony that falls on December 27th of the Tibetan calendar, the biggest pre-new year celebration in Tibet.
Worshippers swarm to the Sera Monastery to take part in
a traditional ceremony before the Tibetan New Year.
During the ceremony, the living Buddha taps the heads of believers one by one, using a silk-wrapped pestle, which was brought here from India at the end of the 15th century. The pestle is regarded as having divine power, helping the believer ward off evil and illness.
Devotees then donate sacred scarves called hada to the Tangka, a painted incarnation of the God of Mercy, known for conquering demons. A hada is always white, and sent as a gift to Buddha, relatives and distinguished friends.
The ceremony lasts for a whole day, and this year is expected to draw 100,000 worshippers. Atlthough they must wait for hours, everyone is patient. After the sun rises, the believers kneel down before the altar, each hoping for a bumper harvest, good health, and an auspicious new year.
