Dehradun: The Tibetan community in Doon Valley, led by Tibetan Settlement Offices, has arranged to organise a cleanliness drive on 12 June 2024.
The drive covered a distance of 6 km, starting from Dehradun Parade Ground to the Railway Station in the heart of Dehradun City. This initiative has been carried out to celebrate His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday as per the Tibetan lunar calendar with the aim of promoting cleanliness and environmental consciousness by urging fellow residents to take care for the community, surroundings, and environment.
During this drive, the public gathered at the Dehradun Parade Ground and started the mass cleaning drive around the main areas that are covered under the cleanliness program, namely Dehradun Parade Ground, Tibetan Market, Buddha Chowk, Kanak Chowk, Oriental Hall, Gandhi Park, Clock Tower, Darshan Chowk, Nagar Nigam, Doon Hospital, Court, Prince Chowk, Raja Road, Paltan Bazar, and Railway Station.
A total of 358 Tibetans participated in this mass cleanliness drive, which included individuals from various places such as Zamongyal Yungdrunling Monastery, Sachen School, Sakya Centre, Dzogchen Shri Sidhe Thegchen Dongag Choeling Monastery, Sakya Rinchen Choeling Nunnery, Palden Tashi Kyil Monastery, Mindroling Monastery, school children from Tibetan Homes Foundation Rajpur, Tibetan Settlements like Dekyiling, Clement Town, Herbertpur, Gepheling, Tsering Dhondhen, TWC Rajpur, Manduwala, and scattered Tibetan Communities, including Rajpur and Mussoorie.
The Tibetan community initiated this activity to honour and express sincere gratitude to His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama, and to thank the government and people of India, particularly the state government and the people of Uttarakhand, for their immense generosity and regular assistance, and for hosting Tibetans for more than 65 years.
Following the cleaning drive, the closing ceremony was held at Dehradun railway station, attended by Chief Guest Rajesh, the Nagar Nigam Cleanliness Inspector, Tibetan Settlement Officers, and Representatives of all aforementioned Tibetan communities and institutions/organisations.
-Report filed by TSO, Dehradun