May 13, 2021
Chötrul Düchen, also known as Chonga Choepa or the Butter Lamp Festival, is one of the four Buddhist festivals commemorating four events in the life of the Buddha, according to Tibetan traditions.
This is one of the four important days under Buddha Shakya. This is the day when the Buddha demonstrates his religious power in the city of Sravasti and celebrates the defeat of the six Tirthik (non-Buddhist) saints. This festival is celebrated with a grand decoration of large worship materials from falgun sukla pakcha parva to Purna. Earlier, it was customary for thousands of monks to gather in Lhasa, the capital of Bhote, on this auspicious occasion to hold the Monlam Chenmo (Mahapuja Conference). At present, it is not possible to start from the day of the dove, but in the end, even if it is only one day of the full moon, this festival is celebrated in the gonpas.
To commemorate the occasion, Tibetans make lamps, traditionally of yak butter, called butter lamps, in the shapes of flowers, trees, birds, and other auspicious symbols. They also create elaborate displays for the lamps in their homes and in public spaces, sometimes erecting structures as large as a building. All the lanterns are lit in celebration on the fifteenth day of the month.