Saga Dawa

Saga Dawa or the Triple Blessed Festival is an auspicious month for the Sikkimese Buddhists with prayers held throughout the month in various monasteries. On the full moon of this 4th month of the Tibetan calendar [celebrated as Buddha Purnima in the rest of India] is the main celebration.

It is believed that on this day the Buddha was born, attained Enlightenment and achieved nirvana. A colourful procession of monks playing musical instruments and devotees carrying holy texts, portraits and statues of Lord Buddha is taken out in Gangtok as well as in other towns and villages of Sikkim. People gather in the streets to touch their heads with the holy scriptures in order to receive blessings.