Pilgrimage - the travel and interaction with sites understood to have a special religious significance -dominates Tibetan culture. Indeed, tourism itself is the modern and secular transformation of pilgrimage, so that many of its features will be oddly familiar. Pilgrimage - in Tibetan, nekor, literally "circling a residence (of a deity, spirit, lama)" - can range from afternoon trips to the local monastery, to many week journeys across the plateau to a remote mountain. Whether short or long, participating in Tibetan pilgrimages is one of the most enjoyable, interesting, and unique things a tourist can do. It allows them to experience the landscape in uniquely Tibetan ways, and get a visceral sense of Tibetan spirituality embodied in on the ground activities. Pilgrimage involves a variety of very specific acts - ranging from the general acts such as prostrating or making offerings, to very specific acts such as wriggling through a small crack between two rocks, or listening to the echo of your voice in a hole in the cliff - and elaborate narratives keyed to features of the landscape concerning gods, Buddhas, demons, and saints.
Pilgrimage sites are areas that have special natural and physical attributes, as well as associations with past saints as well as enduring spiritual figures - local gods, demons, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas - who are understood to take up these sites as "residences". The purpose for making a pilgrimage is to benefit humankind so that all humans may share the spiritual and material benefits. Many pilgrims make a pilgrimage to have their sins cleared, to have greater religious consciousness, to improve physical well-being, or to attain a better rebirth in the next lifetime.
In the southeastern region of Tibet close to the border with Bhutan, Tsari is one of the earth's most sacred places because it represents a special place of the divinity Demchok. The most important mountain in the region is Takpa Shelri which is the home of the Lord of Death Dorje Jigje. There is a major pilgrimage to this mountain every twelve years.
The Tsari Valley is beautiful, and largely untouched by even by agriculture because of bans on cultivation in certain areas. The valley is mostly wet and marshy and provides a fertile ground for plants and flowers. The valley is also home to animals including the Tibetan stag, the Sikkim stag, wild sheep, musk deer, wolves, foxes, and Harmon's pheasant.
The best months for pilgrimages are July-September. May, June, and October are also good months for pilgrims but some passes might be closed due to snow.
Tsari Rongkhor, the Great Pilgrimage, begins on the nineteenth day of the third lunar month and ends on the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month. Women are not permitted to take this pilgrimage. Pilgrims start in Chosum, and a provided with firewood and water along the way. Generally, they take their own food in order to avoid high prices at Chickchar and Migyitun. Westerners have never undertaken this pilgrimage.
Kyilkhor is the lesser pilgrimage that is contained entirely within Tsari. Women are also prohibited from going on this pilgrimage. The path is usually closed after the fifteenth of the eighth month because the ground is covered in maggots.
In the Tibet-Nepal Himalayas, Lapchi is the site of Buddhist master Milarepa's death. It is also significant to members of the Demchok cult.
July and August are the best months, and while there is rain in these months, the flowers are exceptional. The summer season is commonly rainy, so a tent is a necessity because there are few nomad camps. Typical Tibetan food such as tsampa is readily available, but for more variety, pilgrims should bring their own food.
Rongshar, traditionally called Drin, is known as The Valley of the Roses. This valley is considered sacred because of the high number of juniper bushes, and the spirits of Milarepa and other hermits which prohibit the killing of animals within the valley. In June and July, the region is filled with the scent of white and red gooseberry bushes that give the valley its epithet. The weather is more similar to that of Nepal than Tibet; in the monsoon season, the weather is quite rainy.
Some other notable sites of interest include Chuwar Monastery, the cave retreats of Drubden, Menlung Chu Valley (Valley of Medicinal Herbs), and Drintang. The Drakmar Khyunglung Cave Hermitages are a series of caves and retreats of Milarepa. The hermitages are a few hours from Drintang, and the experience will be most beneficial if you hire a guide in Drintang.
Mt Kailash is the most sacred mountain, and Buddhist, Hindu, and Bon pilgrims all undertake the trek around it. This mountain is a sole mountain standing on its own, and four major rivers (Indus, Satlej, Tsangpo, Karnali) all originate nearby. Scenery in the surrounding area is gorgeous as well. The highlight of Mt Kailash is the opportunity to meet Buddhists from all over the world, as well as Hindus and Bon pilgrims. Buddhists and Hindus will walk around the mountain in a clockwise direction while Bon practitioners will walk in a counterclockwise direction.
The pilgrimage generally takes three days and covers 52 km. An extra one or two days would allow for short side trips to inner regions. The best season is from mid-May to mid-October, but the weather can be unpredictably cold and snowy at any time. If you decide to undertake this pilgrimage, supplies on the road are limited so food, cooking fuel, and a tent are highly recommended.
This pilgrimage is less frequently traveled by Westerners, but the lake is considered represent enlightenment, good luck, and fertility. The pilgrimmage takes four to five days and is 110 km long. There are not many supplies available in the local area so you should bring extra food to supplement your diet. The most suitable months are May, June, and September.
David Germano, Elizabeth Tseng