Tshechu, the longlife water, 4740m

Tshechu, the longlife water, 4740m

After two and a half hour walking the first step of our Kora Tour circle around the Kailash was Tarboche at an altitude of 4740 meters.
The flagpole at Tarboche is covered with prayer flags and stands some 80 feet high. At this location, the most important annual festival is held. This festival is called Saga Dawa and it takes place on the full moon of the fourth lunar month. Pilgrims from all over Tibet gather at this sacred place to ritually take down the flag pole to replace the old prayer flags with new ones. Then they raise the Tarboche flag pole back up and circumambulate it in a clockwise direction while conches, horns, and other instruments are played to welcome the rising flagpole. The flagpole is also carefully scrutinized by the Tibetans to look for omens. If it is directly straight up, then the year will be prosperous with no diseases, healthy livestock, and good crop harvests. If the flagpole is leaning towards Kailash, it is an omen for suffering from famines, diseases, and untimely deaths. When the flagpole tilts away from Kailash, alarm is generated in the people as well.
The Kailash peak is shining at the background

My picture was captured in May 2004 with Kodachrome 25 ASA and scanned with NIKON CoolScan V ED