Kathmandu: On the first day of the Tibetan New Year, representatives from the monasteries in Kathmandu, bureaucrats and the heads of NGOs visited the Office of Tibet, Nepal, to celebrate Losar. The attendees unfurled the prayer flag in front of the office following a ceremonial scarf- offering to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s portrait.
The official celebration was observed on the third day of Losar (5 March) at the settlement office of Jwalakhel Tibetan Settlement with Khenpo Ngawang Jorden (Principal of the International Buddhist Academy, Kathmandu) as chief guest and the U.S ambassador to Nepal, Randy Berry as the special guest. The event was also attended by the U.S Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Manuel Micaller, Australian ambassador to Nepal Felicity Volk, British ambassador to Nepal Nicola Pollitt, Ambassador Elisabeth von Capeller from Switzerland, France Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, a representative from the Delegation of the European Union to Nepal, a representative from UNHCR Nepal, staff of the U.S Embassy and chairs of the Human Rights Alliance, Nepal. The other guests include former parliamentarians, head of the LTA, Settlement Officer, head of Tibetan Freedom Movement, Directors of NGOs and the local Tibetan residents.
The event commenced at 8 am with the guests welcoming portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the dais, followed by offering mandala to the portrait from the chief guest and the OOT’s representative. The two further addressed the gathering to greet Losar. Before concluding, the gathering also witnessed Tibetan yak and snow-lion dance performed by Tehor Khampa society in Nepal and cultural dance performances by several local Tibetan schools.
-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Nepal