WORKSHOP: CIRCULATING KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE AIR AND LAND

Polyester prayer flags have been enthusiastically embraced throughout the Himalayas, and throughout Buddhist communities around the world, in the last three decades. Originally, these prayer flags, known as lungta, were intended to carry prayers and blessings on the wind, and were printed as needed in villages and monasteries. Mass production using synthetic fabric and screen printing has made prayer flags more convenient to procure. However, with the discovery of microplastics in the high mountains and concern about rubbish in the glaciers and streams, recently there has been more critical discussion around these convenient prayer flags, and projects that are concerned with returning to traditional knowledge ways that promote sustainability.

Please RSVP, spaces limited and will be confirmed through email. Contact the organizer Dr. Amy Holmes-Tagchungdarpa for information (tagchung@oxy.edu).

Kalzang Dorjee Bhutia is a research associate in the Hidden Stories project at the University of Toronto. He is from west Sikkim, and works on the more-than-human histories of the Kanchendzonga region that he grew up in.  He is currently working on a monograph on the environmental history of Sikkimese Buddhism and is engaged in making biodegradable prayer flags for local communities.