Chotrul Düchen, (Eng. ''Miracle Manifestation Great Day''; also known as ''Chonga Choepa'' or the "Butter Lamp Festival"), is one of the four

Tibetan Buddhist Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Darjeeling, Sikkim, and Arunachal Prades ...

festivals commemorating four events in the life of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

. Chotrul Düchen occurs on the first full moon (''Bumgyur Dawa'') of the fifteenth day after Losar, the New Year in the lunar

Tibetan calendar The Tibetan calendar (), or the Phukpa calendar, known as the ''Tibetan lunar calendar'', is a lunisolar calendar composed of either 12 or 13 lunar months, each beginning and ending with a new moon. A thirteenth month is added every two or three y ...

. The preceding fifteen days are called the Miracle Month that celebrates miracles the Buddha displayed in Sravasti for his disciples and guests so as to increase their devotion. During Chötrul Düchen it is believed that the effects of both positive and negative actions are multiplied ten million times. To commemorate the occasion, Tibetan Buddhists make lamps, traditionally of yak butter but now usually of vegetable

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from South Asia. It is commonly used for cooking, as a Traditional medicine of India, traditional medicine, and for Hinduism, Hindu religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by ...

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.

References

Tibetan Buddhist festivals Buddhist festivals in India February observances March observances Observances set by the Tibetan calendar {{Reli-festival-stub