Tsa Tsa: Miniature stupas

The photograph shows Tsa tsas being placed beneath a rock. Buddhists believe that with each Tsa tsa made, we add good Karma to our life for now and for many generations to come. Tsa tsas are miniature stupas and resembles the shape of a chorten. Tsa tsas are made of clay and mud and people would make hundreds of these to increase their merit.

Every individual Tsa tsa would contain a zung or treasures of precious jewellery, mantras and ornaments. Once they are prepared a Lama would normally conduct rituals and consecrate them.

This practice of making Tsa tsas arrived from Tibet along with Buddhism. They are kept underneath the rocks, on eaves below roofs, and placed on Chortens where rains can't reach and destroy them. They are often painted white and those who cannot afford to paint them they are left the colour of the mud that is brown. Tsa tsas are also placed inside Chortens as Zungs and in some instances they are even taken to a river and placed in water.

This rock and the areas surrounding it is a sacred place as it houses the Tsa tsas and people would refrain from destroying or desecrating them.