THE PUJA CEREMONY - During the Puja, the Sherpas ask and pray to the gods for permission to climb Mount Everest and for a blessing for a safe and successful expedition. Until the Puja is held, no one from the expedition is allowed to climb, for fear of angering the gods. As a Buddhist religious ceremony, the Puja is presided over by a lama, Lama Jangbu, a Buddhist holy man. During the Puja, the flag pole is raised upon the chorten and prayer flags strung across the camp. Prayer flags can be seen all throughout Buddhist Tibet and are said to purify the air and pacify the gods, as they flutter in the wind and, in so doing, release the prayers written upon them to the heavens. The 5 colors of the prayer flags--always red, green, yellow, blue and white--are symbolic of the earth's five elements: fire, wood, earth, water and iron. [EVE 2007-04-18]
