Tibetan Butter Lantern Festival
July 7, 2026 at 7:20:38 AM
Tibetan Butter Lantern Festival, also called the Chotrul Duchen or Butter Lamp Festival, is one of the most important traditional festivals in Tibetan Buddhism. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar, following the Tibetan New Year (Losar). In 2026, it falls on March 4.
Chotrul Duchen is closely associated with the Great Prayer Festival (Monlam Chenmo), which was established in 1409 by Je Tsongkhapa in Lhasa. Over time, this day became a major occasion for offering butter lamps and butter sculptures, as well as for collective prayers and celebrations across Tibet.
Today, monasteries across the Tibetan Plateau mark the occasion with elaborate displays of butter sculptures and thousands of butter lamps. Some of the most impressive celebrations can be experienced at Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, as well as Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, and Barkhor Street.
