Jampaling Festival: Newar Buddhist Festival

in Tibet
Harsamuni Shakya
Buddhist Himalaya: A Journal of Nagarjuna Institute of Exact
Methods
Vol. IV NO. I & II (1992)
Copyright 1992 by Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods

The word "Jampaling" is the name of a Great Stupa situated in a holy

mountain near the south of Lhasa of Tibet. It is the shrine of Arya Maitreya,
the future Buddha of present aeon. It used to appear as a great Chaitya from
outside but in reality it was a monastery. On the ground floor of this stupa
there was a great image of Arya Maitreya Bodhisattva. There were dozens of
sacred image and sculptures in the upper part of the stupa. One could visit
the interior through stairs.
There w3as a separate shrine dedicated to Nepales Simhasarthavaha (Tib.
Norbu Sangya) near the stupa. This shrine was profusely decorated with
Nepalese artistic artifacts.
The first floor of the stupa had a magnificent image of Cakra-Samvara and
enough space for Dho-cho-ba practice. Large number of fresco paintings
embellished with artistic trees, birds and animals of different kinds used to
adorn the walls and ceiling.
The second floor had a magnificent image of Arya Amoghpasa Lokeshvara
standing on the main pedastral.
The third floor had a golden image of Shakyamuni Buddha embellished with
Nepalese artistic style and the rest of the floor filled with high quality artistic
Thankas displayed on the walls of the Stupa. Some floors had the library of
manuscripts written in gold and silver ink properly covered with yellow
cloths.
This stupa is of eight story with 12ft. high of each story, thus making a
massive edifice of 96ft.
How to get to Jampaling?

In order to visit to Jampaling one had to have three days journey through
mountain southwards from Lhasa, arriving then at a village called Ci-ti-so.
From there one used to arrive Jampaling after 12hrs. of cumbersome journey.
The monastery of Jampaling used to house about 50/60 Buddhist monks.
Jampaling Festival: Trade Fair too.
Jampaling Festival was one of the greatest festival of Tibet. It was a sort of
modern Trade fair people from different parts of Tibet and also from border
areas come to participate in this festival. people such as Si-ling-ba (Amdo
province), Si-Chu-Ang ba, soko Khambas, Amdo, Tsang-ba, To-Yeba, Go-LaKha (Southern Chinese), Abuha Kong-ba, Newars (Tib, Bal-Po) and different
tribes of Tibetan people participate in the fair. They bring goods belonging to
their respective regions. To cite some illustrations Kong-ba trades men (in the
border of Indian Assam) bring "Fo-Ba" wooden tea cup for sale. Lhasa
resident Newars bring gold, silver and copper ink. These inks are used in
different monasteries of China and Tibet. Especially Chinese artist were very
much fond of these Newar Tradesmen's products as the inks used to be the
best for Thanka paintings. The art of making gold ink, silver ink and copper
ink being unknown to them Newar traders had monopoly and had a great
demand for these inks. There are three important village around Jampaling.
They are: Ci-Ti-So, Ta-Nang, andGya-Li. These villages are famous for
weaving special Tibetan dress called "Na-Bu". These "Na-Bu'sare used also
by Han chinese and Mongolians. A set of Na-Bu dress is durable for one's life
time. Some of its threads are sometimes can be seen only by powerful
lenses. As its threads are fine it is expensive too. The colours dyed by Newar
Ranjikars were however durable and of excellent quality. Ranjitkars are
Newars who are expert in dyeing of colours. Most of the businessmen who
dealt with this Nabu dress were Newars.
Every year this festival is observed by the Tibetans and Newars on the sixth
month of Tibetan calendar i.e. Shravana pratipada to Astami (July/August) for
straight eight days. This tradition was founded by Nepalese Sarthavaha.
During festivals Newars used to exercise full power in that place and
ceremony. The story of Nepalese Simhasarthgavaha ;is related in detail in
Mani bka'-'bum and Guna Karanda vyuha Sutra. None were to start their
business in the fair unless and until
Newar Buddhists offer their long scarf (pa-ta) to the great Stupa. It was a
time honored tradition.
In the first day of ceremony all Newar Buddhists assemble together and after
performing ritualistic ceremony of offering scarf (pa-ta) to the great stupa
accompanied by A Newar Buddhists musical instruments they then
circummabulated the great caitya three times. After this ceremony Newar
Buddhists used to announce that the fair participants can start their
business. The length of scarf when hanged from the top of caitya to the

bottom is about 360 ku measures in Newar tradition i.e.360 x 1.5 ft =540 ft.
These cloths are used for wicks of butter lamps in the monastery for a year.

This festival used to continue for a week. People used to make a heap of
dump in the surrounding areas. It is strange that after the festival a heavy
rain used to wash away all the dump clearing the land as before. These
events were continuing till recently.
Unfortunately this gigantic stupa is no more now. It was completely
destroyed by Red Chinese Army during the Cultural Revolution. After
Jampaling festival Newar Buddhists used to stay at Ci-Ti-So village where
they had constructed a Gonpa dedicated to Vajravira Mahakala. They used to
perform special puja ceremony and used to invite all the Tibeto-Newars and
other for feasting. After this residents of Lhasa Newars used to go back to
their respective regions.
This photograph was taken by the author in 1956 AD. Like this many
monasteries, shrines, temples and gompas were ransacked and bulldozed by
Red Chinese Army in the name of "liberation Tibet" during Cultural
Revolution. It was a great blow to Nepalese Buddhists sentiment as well as
China-Nepal relations. How sad! Nepalese government is silent in this aspect
too.