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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.

This workshop will guide participants in creating prayer flags as a way for them to think about the connected issues of Indigenous knowledge, sustainability, and waste in global ecosystems and as part of material religion.  

 

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.

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