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Lhabab Dhuechen, observed in Sikkim, marks the descent of whom from heaven?
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Answer: Option B — Lord Buddha
Detailed Solution
Lhabab Dhuechen is a Buddhist festival of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet that marks the descent of Lord Buddha from heaven to the earth. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the ninth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, which usually falls in October or November. It is one of the four great Buddhist festivals of the year.
According to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mahamaya, the mother of the Buddha, died seven days after his birth and was reborn in the heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods (Trayastrimsha heaven), ruled by Indra. After he attained enlightenment, the Buddha went up to this heaven and spent three months there, during the rainy season retreat, teaching the Dharma to his mother and the gods, so that she too could attain liberation. At the request of his disciples, especially Maudgalyayana, he then came back down to the earth. According to tradition, he descended at Sankasya (Sankisa), in present-day Uttar Pradesh, on a triple staircase of gold, silver and jewels made by the gods, accompanied by Brahma and Indra. The name "Lhabab Dhuechen" means "the festival of the descent from the realm of the gods" ("lha" means god, "bab" means descent and "dhuechen" means great festival).
On Lhabab Dhuechen, Buddhists in Sikkim visit monasteries and stupas, offer prayers, light butter lamps, recite scriptures and give charity. It is believed that the effects of good and bad actions are multiplied many times on this day, so people try to perform acts of merit and avoid harmful actions. Special prayers are held at monasteries such as Rumtek, Pemayangtse and the Tsuklakhang in Gangtok. The day is a public holiday in Sikkim.
The four great Buddhist festivals (dhuechen) are: Chotrul Dhuechen (the day of miracles), Saga Dawa Dhuechen (the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana), Chokhor Dhuechen or Drukpa Tshe-zhi (the first sermon) and Lhabab Dhuechen (the descent from heaven).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Guru Padmasambhava is honoured at the Hemis festival and the tsechus.
- ✗Goddess Tara is a female Buddhist deity of compassion.
- ✗The god of Mount Kanchenjunga is honoured at Pang Lhabsol.
Quick tip
Remember: Lhabab Dhuechen = Sikkim and the Buddha's descent from the heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods after teaching his mother, at Sankasya.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.