Cleansing ritual at Chita datsan ahead of Sagaalgan

The Dugzhuuba ritual with a bonfire will take place on the territory of the Chita datsan Damba Braibunling at 72 Bogomyagkova Street, on February 16 at 18:00. This is reported on the website «Kultura75», where the program for celebrating Sagaalgan was published on January 28.

During the Dugzhuuba ceremony (a Buddhist purification rite), a solemn mystical destruction of evil spirits is performed. Into the magical three-sided cone «Sor» (a ritual object) with a skull on top and flaming sides, hostile spirits from all ten directions of the world and spirits causing 64 types of sufferings, illnesses, and premature death are invoked. The «Sor» is carried out of the datsan and burned outside the monastery.

During the ritual, participants hold a white handkerchief, to which they mentally transfer all the bad things that happened in the past year. Then the cloth is placed in a special bonfire, which will be lit by the lamas.

The White Month festival Sagaalgan will be celebrated on February 18. This day will be a non-working day in the region.

A large concert (suitable for ages 6 and above) will be held on Lenin Square. The program will start at 14:00, during which artists from the region will take the stage, and at the venues, people can try themselves in various master classes. Also, on this day, gifts and souvenirs will be available for purchase.

The full program for celebrating Sagaalgan will be announced by the organizers later. The main celebration will take place in the village of Aginskoye on February 21, and in the villages of Mogoytuy and Dul«durga from February 18 to 21.

The news has been corrected; previously it was reported that the ritual would be held on February 17.