BLESSING THE LAND
Religion and Culture

BLESSING THE LAND

As humans, we like to make our mark and build on land that we consider empty. We buy it, exchange or inherit it and consider it ours. In Tibet, peo...

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PEACE DAY
Religion and Culture

PEACE DAY

A poem on peace and compassion composed and recited for World Peace Day, by one of Norlha’s Managers, Jampa Dhundup. Radiating rays of Love bring w...

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LAPTSE
Religion and Culture

LAPTSE

Fluttering flags, smoke, paper effigies of the wind horse, the harbinger of good fortune, falling like snow, the sound of hoofs, and the cries of h...

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EARTH CLEANSING
Religion and Culture

EARTH CLEANSING

Each year, on the 19th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar, the monks of Ritoma Monastery and men representing each clan and household make ...

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THE MOVE TO CHAKKA
Religion and Culture

THE MOVE TO CHAKKA

From time immemorial, harmony among various pastoral groups relied on equal access to their most important asset; grassland. Norlha lies in the dis...

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SAGADAWA
Religion and Culture

SAGADAWA

Sagadawa is the full moon of the 4th month of lunar calendar. This is the day that the Buddha was born, gained enlightenment and passed away. I...

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EARTH DAY IN RITOMA
Religion and Culture

EARTH DAY IN RITOMA

Historically, Ritoma has been home to Tibetan nomads who are closely tied to nature’s cycles, knowing that moderation helps to maintain a balance, ...

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MONLAM CHENMO
Religion and Culture

MONLAM CHENMO

The Monlam Chenmo, also known as The Great Prayer Festival, is the most important Tibetan Buddhist celebration of the year and begins on the 4th da...

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YEAR OF THE WATER RABBIT
Animals and Surroundings

YEAR OF THE WATER RABBIT

The Lunar New Year is marked by the first day of the lunar year and is the most celebrated festival on the Tibetan Plateau. It is a symbol of new b...

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TORKYA CEREMONY
Religion and Culture

TORKYA CEREMONY

Each year, across the Tibetan Plateau, monks perform the ‘Torkya’ or Ritual Cake Throwing Ceremony, a ritual meant to cleanse the air of any malevo...

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GANDEN NAMCHOE
Religion and Culture

GANDEN NAMCHOE

Each year on a winter night, the outlines of a multitude of villages and nomad settlements across the Tibetan Plateau emerge from obscurity, illumi...

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WINTER CHAM
Religion and Culture

WINTER CHAM

Every year around December, when the cold has settled in and the new year is close, the monastery in Garnying, a few kilometers from Ritoma, holds ...

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