Thousands flock to Lhasa for Tibetan Fairy Festival

The streets around the ancient Jokhang Temple and other monasteries in Lhasa, the capital of the Xizang autonomous region, were crowded on Sunday as thousands of pilgrims arrived to visit the sites in celebration of the annual Pal Lhamo festival.

Nov 15 coincides with the fifteenth day of the tenth month this year, according to the Tibetan calendar. The date marks the traditional festival, also known as the Tibetan Fairy Festival.

The alternate name refers to the festival wherein Tibetan Buddhists make religious visits to honor Palden Lhamo - the only female of the Eight Guardians of the dharma.

People dress in festive attire and bring offerings like white khata scarves, flowers, fruit, barley wine and cash to the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. Facing the statues of Palden Lhamo in the Jokhang Temple, people pray and make offerings during the ceremonies.

Some female pilgrims present traditional Tibetan songs and dances in the temple's courtyard as part of an important ritual.

Kelsang Lhamo, a 40-year-old Tibetan woman, said she paid a visit to a monastery near her house. She was pleased with the annual tradition despite how crowded the monastery was on Sunday.

In the next few months, Tibetan residents will embrace more traditional festivals, including the Butter Lamp Festival, the Lunar New Year and the Tibetan Losar New Year.