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Photo: PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP
Nepal's largest Buddhist building has switched to biodegradable prayer flags.
So it should be more in harmony with nature.
On Saturday workers hung up the many colorful polyester prayer flags at the Boudhanath Stupa in Nepal's capital Kathmandu and replaced them with compostable pennants.
Prayer flags play an important role in Buddhism.
The different colored pieces of fabric are printed with auspicious symbols and prayers.
Old prayer flags are usually burned.
According to Buddhist belief, prayers are then carried to the gods by the wind.
Originally the garlands were made from natural materials such as cotton and silk.
In the meantime, however, polyester and other synthetic materials have become common, which take decades to decompose and which release toxic gases when burned.
"The prayers may be answered, but it also pollutes the environment," Ang Dolma Sherpa said of the synthetic fiber prayer flags.
The founder of the company Utpala Crafts therefore made the biodegradable prayer flags for the Boudhanath stupa from cotton and water-soluble paints.
Instead of a nylon strap, they are strung together on ropes made of natural fibers.
Chandra Man Lama, chairman of the development committee for Boudhanath, sees the new prayer flags as an important impetus for environmental protection.
Prayer flags are at the center of Buddhist belief, he said.
He is therefore convinced that the garlands made of natural materials »send a good message and spread to other places«.
fdi / AFP