DHARAMSHALA: His Holiness the Dalai Lama will inaugurate a two-day International Himalayan Festival in Dharamshala on 10 December. The festival is being organised to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the conferment of Nobel Peace Prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama, said Mr Vijay Singh Mankotia, vice-chairman of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board.

“Though His Holiness the Dalai Lama has to leave for Rome to attend the International Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, he has agreed to inaugurate the festival in the morning of December 10 – the day he received Nobel Peace Prize in 1989,” Mr Mankotia said at a press conference in Dharamshala on Monday.

As the Central Tibetan Administration designated year 2014 as the Year of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, preparations are on for a more grand celebration of this year’s Nobel prize anniversary. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh will also grace the festive occasion. Tibetan political leader Dr. Lobsang Sangay and Parliament Speaker Mr Penpa Tsering will address the gathering on the occasion.

“About 230 artistes of cultural troupes from seven Indian states, including Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan will be participating in the celebrations. There will be artistes from countries such as Russia, Mongolia and Bhutan showcasing their culture at the two-day festival,” Mr Mankotia said. He said necessary arrangements have been made to make the event a success.