(, ) is a Tibetan expression used to greet, congratulate or wish someone good luck. It is also used in

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

and

Northeast India Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...

in the same way. is associated with

Losar Losar (; "new year"William D. Crump, "Losar" in ''Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide'' (McFarland & Co.: 2008), pp. 237-38.) also known as Tibetan New Year, is a festival in Tibetan Buddhism. The holiday is celebrated on various da ...

, the Tibetan festival celebrating the lunisolar new year.

Origin and meaning

(, ) means 'auspicious' - the Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit

svastika The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few African and American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely recognized as a symbol of the German Nazi Party who appropriated i ...

and (, , also rendered as or ) means 'fine' or 'well'. It is difficult and perhaps impossible to translate properly into English. Different authors render it as 'Blessings and good luck' or 'May all auspicious signs come to this environment'.

Usage by Tibetans

is traditionally used as part of a larger invocation on

. With the Dalai Lama's exile and creation of the

Tibetan diaspora The Tibetan diaspora is the relocation of Tibetan people from Tibet, their land of origin, to other nation states to live as exiles and refugees in communities. The diaspora of Tibetan people began in the early 1950s, peaked after the 1959 Tibe ...

, exile authorities promoted the use of as an all-purpose greeting which could be easily picked up by foreign sponsors. Students of the exile school system are taught that this usage of has roots in premodern Tibet, and that Chinese Tibetans' exclusive usage of for New Year's is corrupt.

Tour operator A tour operator is a business that typically combines and organizes lodging, accommodations, meals, sightseeing and transportation components, in order to create a package tour. They advertise and produce brochures to promote their products, holi ...

s have promoted the phrase, along with khata scarves and

prayer flag A Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes. Prayer flags are believed to have originated with ...

s, as essentialized and commodifiable aspects of

Tibetan culture Tibet developed a distinct culture due to its geographic and climatic conditions. While influenced by neighboring cultures from China, India, and Nepal, the Himalayas, Himalayan region's remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved distinct ...

, a fact that has caused resentment among some religious Tibetans.

Other uses

The phrase is also used in Chinese with the Chinese transcription (). There is a song called with lyrics by , a Tibetan, and music by , a

Han Chinese The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...

. The phrase is also used in

Sikkim Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...

, and

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. "" is the name of a website that provides information on the nation of Bhutan and promotes tourism. There is a company in Bhutan called TashiDelek.com and a Hotel Tashi Delek in

Gangtok Gangtok (, ) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of East Sikkim district, eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's population of 100 ...

, Sikkim. The inflight magazine of the Bhutanese airline Druk Air is called ''Tashi Delek''.https://www.drukair.com.bt/COMMON.aspx?Type=Tashi%20Delek.htm

References

Citations

Sources

* * * {{refend

External links

Bhutanese Tashi Delek Net
Tibetan culture Tibetan words and phrases Greeting words and phrases