Dharamshala: The three-day Tibetan Cultural Festival, organised by the Department of Information and International Relations (CTA), commenced this morning at 11 a.m. at the Police Ground in Dharamshala. The festival was formally inaugurated by Sikyong Penpa Tsering, whose swearing-in ceremony for his second term as head of the 17th Tibetan Kashag, (Cabinet), took place just yesterday, making this cultural celebration the first event of his renewed mandate.

The inaugural ceremony was graced by several distinguished dignitaries, with Shri Sudhir Sharma, Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Himachal Pradesh government, attending as one of the chief guests. The gathering also included MP Kerry McCarthy of the Labour Party and former Government Minister, MP Wera Hobhouse of the Liberal Democrats and APPG Tibet Member, from Latin America, Deputy Luis Fabian Mala from Chile and Deputy Jose Francisco of El Salvador, former Indian military officers, members of the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Association based in Dharamshala. Leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration also attended the event.

Despite the warm weather that has settled over Dharamshala in recent days, a bright and sunny morning provided a fitting backdrop as the ceremony commenced with the lighting of butter lamps before the portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama placed on the throne, followed by auspicious prayers offered by monks from Nechung Monastery.

Delivering his address, Sikyong Penpa Tsering said that Himachal Pradesh has been home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Central Tibetan Administration over the last 65 years. Similarly, he expressed gratitude to the Central Government of India for its kind and unparalleled humanitarian support all these years to Tibetans and highlighted that under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibetans made significant progress as the only exile community in the world that has fully functional democratic polity.

Furthermore, Sikyong urged Tibetans to strengthen support and raise greater awareness about Tibet in India, noting that earlier generations who witnessed His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s arrival in India had a deeper understanding of the Tibetan issue than the younger generation today. He emphasised that the changing generations in the country make it essential to renew awareness and engagement on Tibet. He also expressed hope that, in the coming year, the festival and its exhibitions could be taken to different Indian cities to showcase the development and progress achieved by the Tibetan community over the years.

The festival grounds featured a vibrant array of stalls and installations from prominent Tibetan institutions based in Dharamshala, including Men-tsee-khang (the Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute), the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, The Tibet Museum, and non-governmental organisations such as the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy and the Tibetan Women’s Association, among others. Food stalls offering a variety of traditional Tibetan delicacies were also set up within the festival grounds.

The opening day drew a warm turnout from both the local Tibetan community and Indian residents from across the Dharamshala area, who gathered to witness the inaugural cultural performances featuring Tibetan songs and dances presented by school children and artists from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts.

The afternoon programme offered further engagement for visitors of all ages, with a dedicated children’s corner organised by Manjushri Educational Services featuring a range of interactive activities for young attendees. Cultural performances continued through the afternoon, and the evening Gorshey (Traditional Tibetan Circle Dance), which is set to be a recurring highlight across all three evenings of the festival. The day’s screenings featured Compassion in Exile, a film on the life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, presented in its Hindi version.

Day two and three of the festival promise an expanded line-up of cultural performances and additional film screenings. The three-day festival is expected to draw large crowds from both the Tibetan exile community and the broader Dharamshala public throughout its run.