What Is Saga Dawa? Meaning, Rituals, and What Pilgrims Experience at Mount Kailash

Saga Dawa is one of the most revered festivals among the Buddhist community, celebrated over the course of a year. The Saga Dawa falls in the fourth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. For Buddhists all over the world, Saga Dawa or Saka Dawa is the holiest month of the year.

And especially the full moon, the most important day in the year, is called Saga Dawa Düchen, as it commemorates three pivotal events in the life of Gautam Buddha:

1. Birth of Gautam Buddha
2. His enlightenment under the Bodhi tree
3. His Maha Parinirvana

The meaning of Duchen is “great occasion,” and this year falls on the full moon day, May 31, 2026. Often it is compared with the Vesak in Theravada Buddhism. Three events in the life of Buddha, converging at birth, awakening, and departure, give this month an extraordinary weight.

According to traditional belief, the karmic effects of actions performed during Saga Dawa are multiplied several-fold. And this year, in 2026, this multiplication is believed to be folded 13 times and clean all your sins for life. This is the central idea of the Saga Dawa in Buddhism.

It is a month of intensified merit with Pilgrims increasing prayer, generosity, compassion, vegetarian practice, mantra recitation, and pilgrimage. This month is the month of devotion and spiritual focus amplified, not superstition.

Why Is Mount Kailash Sacred Across Religions?

Mount Kailash is important for all the pilgrims travelling here. It is spiritually significant to all Hindus, Buddhists, Bons and Jains. To understand the spiritual significance of Mount Kailash, we must step beyond one tradition.

Four religions in Mount Kailash: Four major spiritual traditions revere Mount Kailash. For Buddhists, Mount Kailash is the home of Demchok (Chakrasamvar), and the Mountain is the representation of Mount Meru. It is the center of the cosmic universe and the supreme bliss and the union of wisdom and compassion, known as Pragya Paramita.

Has Anyone Climbed Mount Kailash?

Not any humans have ever climbed Mount Kailash. The mountain is spiritually significant and is believed to have supernatural power stopping human to climb over it.

The legend also says that, in the 11th century, a Buddhist tantric teacher, Milarepa, reached the top of Mount Kailash, defeating the Bonpo master Naro Bön-chung in a magical race. It is believed he climbed over a beam of light and travelled with it to reach the top using his Tantra from the Tibetan Tantric Buddhism.

Mount Kailash During Saga Dawa Festival

During Saga Dawa, Kailash transforms from a remote sacred geography into a living field of devotion, with pilgrims from all over the world. Thousands of pilgrims gather around the Tarboche region, close to the starting point of the Kora.

During Saga Dawa, the largest ritual takes place here at the Tarboche. Here, a large prayer flagpole is ceremonially raised or replaced by a new one. This pole is symbolically believed to be connecting to the earth with Heaven.

When it rises, people cheer, dance, and some even cry, being overwhelmed. When the pole is changed, it symbolizes renewal of vows, compassion, intention and love for humanity.

What Is the Kailash Kora (Parikrama)?

Kora simply means circumambulation. The Kailash Kora is a 52 km round circuit trek around Mount Kailash. Most pilgrims complete the kora in three days. The Kailash Kora during Saga Dawa becomes more significant and carries more value.

The trails to Kailash Kora include high altitude terrain, rocky stretches, river crossings, and one of the most challenging altitudes at the Dolma La Pass, at an altitude of 6500m. This is the most difficult section of the Kailash Kora with physically demanding terrain and risk of altitude sickness. The air in the area is so thin that even experienced trekkers get exhausted and might get altitude sickness.

And yet, many pilgrims walk with a string of beads in hand and whispering mantras. Some perform full-body prostrations along the entire circuit, measuring their body length against the sacred earth repeatedly. Buddhists, Jains and Hindus perform the prostration in a clockwise direction, but Bons perform the kora in an anticlockwise direction.

For all, in ordinary years, one kora is believed to cleanse a lifetime of negative karma. But during the Tibetan Year of the Horse in 2026, it is believed that the merit of one kora is multiplied by or is equivalent to 13 koras. This is why pilgrims are willing to complete the Kailash kora in 2026, and it is gaining a lot of attention.

Significance of the Year of the Horse 2026

In Tibetan astrology, the horse symbolizes movement, strength, endurance, and spiritual momentum. The year returns every 12 years. And when it aligns with powerful spiritual timing, such as Saga Dawa, the pilgrimage takes on additional meaning. This year, in 2026, the Horse Year overlaps with Saga Dawa, creating a powerful, symbolically amplifying period for the Kailash Kora.

Lake Mansarovar: Purification During Saga Dawa

For many undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra during Saga Dawa, visiting this lake is deeply emotional. Many pilgrims like to take baths, cleansing the body, offering prayers at the shore, or meditating silently. Mansarovar reflects clarity of mind. During Saga Dawa, these acts are believed to generate multiplied merit.

Tibet Travel Permit and Planning: Reality Check

While planning about travelling to Tibet, it is important to be realistic and understand the depth of the administrative system. Travelers from abroad must get a Tibet Travel Permit and must travel through authorized tour arrangements, with the visa granted in a group. Independent travelers are not allowed to go for Kailash Yatra. For the Tibet Travel Permit, during the Saga Dawa, it must be planned and requires early coordination.

This year, it is assumed to have a crowd on the route to Kora. There is going to be a higher demand for guesthouses and other logistics. This is why pilgrims must apply in advance for an earlier permit. Also, there are other issues involved with the high altitude to Kailash, which can be solved by

1. Carrying oxygen cylinders/Cans against the Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
2. Frequent hydration
3. Taking enough food and resting well to avoid severe fatigue
4. Walk is a slow and steady pace, breathe with the nose only to avoid breathlessness
5. And most importantly, plan for the gradual acclimatisation.

Why Pilgrims Choose Saga Dawa 2026

The Tarboche ceremony during the Saga Dawa draws a large gathering. For some pilgrims, this collective energy enhances devotion. For others, it can be religious, and some feel spirituality without religion. The output of the journey depends on what you seek and how you perceive the festival.

If you came to Kailash during the Saga Dawa, searching for peace, you know it is not simply a Buddhist festival. It is a sacred month centered on awakening. Saga Dawa in 2026, also the horse year, one must understand that it is going to be an easy and spiritual Journey with Awesome Holidays Nepal.