NOVA Online | Everest | The Puja Ceremony

The Puja Ceremony

The puja ceremony, in which the Sherpas pay homage to the mountain deity, is the starting point for all Everest expeditions. In this footage, the 26-year old lama chants as Breashears, Jangbu, and the expedition Sherpas throw tsampa (a roasted barley flour) toward a stone altar covered with offerings of cookies, rice, popcorn, and beer.

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Still from clip of puja ceremony

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You will find more information on this ceremony, and on Sherpa history and culture in general, in the following features on this Web site:

The Puja
Sherpas on Everest
World of the Sherpa
The Monastery