The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the Tibetan Settlement Office (TSO) will organise a three-day Tibetan Cultural Festival in Dharamsala from May 28 to 30 to showcase Tibetan culture, heritage and traditions while strengthening bonds with the local Indian community.
Addressing a press conference in Dharamsala on Tuesday, CTA spokesperson Tenzin Lekshay said the festival holds special significance as it coincides with the 90th birth anniversary year of spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama, who has been residing in Dharamsala for more than six decades.
Lekshay said the festival is aimed at fostering closer ties with the local people of Himachal Pradesh and expressing gratitude to the Indian government and residents of Dharamsala for supporting the Tibetan community for the past 60 years.
“This is an apolitical kind of event where we are going to showcase our culture and identity,” he said.
He appealed to the local media to help spread awareness about the festival among Indian residents and tourists visiting Dharamsala, including cricket fans arriving for the ongoing IPL matches.
The festival will officially begin on May 28 at 11 am with an inaugural ceremony. The newly elected Sikyong (President) of the CTA will inaugurate the event. Invitations have also been extended to local MLAs, the Member of Parliament, panchayat representatives, district administration officials and other dignitaries.
Several Tibetan institutions will participate in the festival through exhibitions and information stalls. These include Norbulingka Institute, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives and Men-Tsee-Khang.
Organisers said Men-Tsee-Khang will offer free medical consultations and medicines during the event, while the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives will display and sell books on Tibet in Hindi, English and Tibetan languages.
The festival will also feature Hindi-dubbed documentaries on the life and teachings of the Dalai Lama, along with cultural performances by Tibetan schoolchildren and artistes from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. Popular singer Tenzin, known for participating in the television reality show Indian Idol, is also scheduled to perform during the event.
A children’s corner, Tibetan cuisine stalls and cultural information booths will also be part of the festival.
