As we approach the most auspicious time of year in the Tibetan calendar, Saga Dawa, Rubin Museum senior curator Dr. Elena Pakhoutova and Smarthistory’s Dr. Beth Harris explore a model of the most important temple in the Buddhist world in this month’s #HimalayanArtUpClose video. The Buddha Sakyamuni’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana all took place during Saga Dawa, which is celebrated with a month-long festival starting on May 9th. Saga Dawa is the month of merits, and during this time, Tibetan Buddhists worldwide accumulate merit by reciting mantras, performing pilgrimages, reproducing and reciting Buddhist texts, and other deeds with good intentions. Tibetan Buddhists go to monasteries and temples, like the Mahabodhi Temple—a model of which is highlighted in this video—to pray during the Saga Dawa Festival. The Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodhgaya, India, is where the Buddha attained awakening while sitting under the bodhi tree. The Rubin Museum of Art has teamed up with Sma...