What does Khada stand for in Tibet Tradition?

In Tibetan Tradition, we have a very special way of greetings by offering ceremonial scarf and hang it on our guest’s neck. The white scarf is suitable and lucky for every big event in Tibet to show respect and best wishes. This ceremonial scarf is called Khada in Tibetan Language. Tibetans use it as an offering to highly ranked Lamas, special guest and officials for greetings. Khada in Tibet will be mainly colored with white, which represents the purity of the heart. It can be offered for so many different purposes, like to the Buddha’s images, people who are getting married, and to wish people a happy life when moving to new houses and so on.

For all our Tibet tours, when travelers arrive at the Lhasa plane or train station, our guide and driver will be waiting for their arrival, and offering the Khada to them, to show our warmest welcome and best wishes.

This ceremonial scarf can also be used for unfortunate or sad events like funeral or when the body is taken from home to the sky-burial place. This signifies that our pure wishes and prayers are always there for this person to have a better next life and will be remembered.
For offering the Khada to the other people, we have several different but traditional rules. If you are offering to people with the same social status or around the same age, it is usually to put the khada around his/her neck.
If the person has higher position, or they are senior ones, then you can put it in his/her hand, which means you are respecting the person.
Most importantly, people offer the Khada towards the Buddha, which shows their pure faith and high respect to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.