picture and text by Kim Gutschow

Karsha monks performing an ablution (khrus) during the springtime circumambulation and purification (bum 'khor) of Karsha and its five neighboring villages (yul tshun lnga).  This ritual circumambulation is preformed annually over the course of single day in early spring (usually in late third or early fourth Tibetan month) on horseback by the abbot, chantmaster, and a posse of monks from Karsha.  In this photo, the monks are completing one of a standard set of ritual ablutions (khrus) performed at ritually specified locations on their route through the five villages.  The ablution consists of pouring sanctified water from a ritual vessle (bum pa) over a brass mirror, in order to purify the landscape and the sentient ihabitants (visible and invisible) reflected therein.   After such a purification, the members of a household who sponsored the ablution are invited to drink the sacred water, as seen here.