Every Wednesday morning, over 200 nuns at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute near Dharamsala, India rise before dawn and start a special ceremony to Tara to help end the suffering all sentient beings and to aid the nuns on their own spiritual path.

Starting at 5:30 a.m. and continuing for an hour and a half, the nuns chant special Buddhist prayers to Tara, the female Buddha who embodies the wisdom and the compassion of all enlightened beings.

Here is a recording of the Tara puja made by Olivier Adam, a French photographer and supporter of the Tibetan Nuns Project, when he visited Dolma Ling Nunnery.

Called the drolchok puja or Tara prayer it is done on Wednesdays because this day is considered auspicious day for His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Tara, also called Dolma by Tibetans, is believed to be a Bodhisattva of compassion and a protector who relieves physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering.

Tara has 21 major forms, each of which has a different color and spiritual attribute.

Two of Tara’s 21 forms are particularly revered by Tibetans — White Tara, who is associated with compassion and long life, and Green Tara, who is associated with enlightened activity and abundance.

About the Tara Puja

The Tara puja is a very beautiful prayer that includes many verses of offering and the famous Praises to the 21 Taras, which are recited many times throughout the puja. The elaborate offering involves creating ritual cakes (tormas) and the use of musical instruments.

Reciting the Praises to the 21 Taras with devotion at any time of the day or night protects you from fear and dangers, and fulfils all your wishes, especially wishes on the spiritual path. Meditation on Tara brings life on your spiritual path and feeds you with endless energy to continue on the path.

Here’s a link to an English translation of the Praises to the 21 Taras which is one part of the whole Tara puja: http://www.nic.fi/~laan/praise.htm

Painting of Green Tara from Dolma Ling Nunnery. Photo courtesy of Brian Harris.

How to request a Puja or Prayers

You don’t have to be a Buddhist to request prayers by the Tibetan nuns.

You can ask the Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute in northern India to perform prayers and pujas on your behalf.

People around the world are able to sponsor pujas or prayers through our Tibetan Nuns Project website. You can sponsor prayers in honor of loved ones, friends, family members, or even pets who may be suffering from obstacles, ill health, or who have passed away.

There are many different types of prayers or pujas to choose from, depending on your wishes and the problems that you wish to overcome. Full descriptions of each puja and its use are available on our website in the Prayers and Pujas section of our online store.

When requesting a puja or prayers from the Tibetan Nuns Project, please provide information about who the prayers are to be directed to and for what purpose. The funds given to the nuns to sponsor pujas are used to purchase supplies and also help to support the nunnery as a whole.