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Tibet Travel Information


A leader's perspective...

Juniper smoke wafts across the horizon as I walk with a steady stream of pilgrims heading toward Drepung Monastery. Today marks the first day of Shoton (Yoghurt) Festival. The sound of chanting mantras, the scrape of prostrating bodies and the whirring of spinning prayer wheels fill my ears. The smell of yak butter permeates the air. The crowds are jostling their way through the monastery gates. It is hard for me to stay on my feet and I’m carried along. As I round the bend a pilgrim taps me on the shoulder and indicates to turn around. There, draped on the hillside is a large Sakyamuni Buddha Thangka (banner) upon which devotees are throwing khatas (silk scarves) as an offering to their beloved god.

Katherine Burt - Intrepid Team