Biodegradable Blessing

ANG DOLMA SHERPA, KALZANG DORJEE BHUTIA, AMY HOLMES-TAGCHUNGDARPA, PASANG YANGJEE SHERPA

BIODEGRADABLE BLESSING IS A PROJECT OF LOVE FOR OUR PLANET AND all SENTIENT BEINGS…

Lungta (prayer flags) and khata (ritual scarves) materially embody the prayers and blessings that protect life across the Himalaya, and beyond. Important life events are marked with khatas, and ritually important times of the year with lungta. The omnipresence of these materials is possible because of the mass-produced synthetic fabric containing chemical dyes that are readily available and affordable. The widespread use of synthetic lungtas and khatas have replaced the traditional practice of making them with locally-sourced ingredients such as grains, soil, and smoke. The loss of this practice also means the loss of ancestral knowledge of living with the ecological matters that make up the life of a spiritual merit-earning Himalayan person.

Ang Dolma is at the center of this project. Her environmentally-friendly lugta and khata were already gaining traction in Kathmandu, when she connected with Kalzang, Amy and Pasang in 2022. Today, the team is expanding conversation around biodegradable blessing through public-facing essays, prayer-flag making workshops, and educational talks to raise awareness about plastic prayers, ancestral wisdom, and planetary health.

**Read more on how the team has been “Replacing Plastic Prayers with Biodegradable Blessings in the Himalayas” in Sapiens.