Shoton Festival Begins in Lhasa!
Today marks the opening of the Shoton Festival in Tibet, one of the most joyful and colorful celebrations of the year. At Drepung Monastery, the festival began with the grand unveiling of a giant thangka, known as a guku, depicting Maitreya Buddha (Jampa). Thousands of pilgrims and locals gathered at dawn to witness this sacred moment, offering prayers and khatas as the thangka was displayed across the hillside.
The Shoton Festival, which lasts about a week, transforms Lhasa into a vibrant hub of culture and devotion. Families gather in parks for picnics, monasteries host spiritual events, and the streets fill with opera, music, and celebration.
This sacred and festive occasion beautifully blends Tibetan religious devotion with communal joy, carrying forward a tradition that has been cherished for centuries
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