CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay presenting the trophy to Gyalu House, the winner of Yarkyi 2018. Photo/Tenzin Phende/DIIR
Dharamshala: CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay today attended the annual summer festival of Yarkyi at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA). The festival is an internal competition between two houses: Gyalu and Ngonpa. It is held every year to mark the founding anniversary of Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA), the premiere institute of Tibetan Dance and theater, which turned 59 this year.
President of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Dr Lobsang Sangay attended the festival along with other guests including Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Chief Justice Commissioner Kargyu Dhondup, two Justice Commissioners, members of the Kashag, members of standing committee of Tibetan Parliament in Exile, and secretaries of CTA departments and offices.
The festival began with a brief introductory address by Mr Wangdue Tsering, Director of TIPA.
In his keynote address, CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay lauded the institute for its longstanding efforts to preserve Tibet’s distinct heritage of dance, theater and music. He said the achievements of the institute is a result of the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and hard work of the successive generations of staff and artistes.
“TIPA has been instrumental in keeping the rich Tibetan cultural heritage of dance and music alive for the last 50 years in exile. Inside Tibet, Tibetan culture is facing an onslaught of repression and destruction under the Chinese government. Therefore, it is of extreme importance to make every effort in exile to preserve our rich culture,” he said.
He also talked about the institute’s legacy and said that since the institution was established, it has earned a reputation of excellence and respect. “Barely three months after the institute was founded, it presented its first public performance. Later, it also presented Tibet’s rich culture of dance at the Afro-Asian Conference in New Delhi where even Dr Rajendra Prasad, the then president of India attended. It was a moment of great pride for all at the time,”he said.
President Sangay also congratulated the participants of Yarkyi 2018. The competition included solo performances, group songs and group dances. Ngonpa house turned out the overall winner of the Yarkyi 2018 festival.
Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts is one of the pioneer cultural institute established through the vision of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The institute was established on 11 August 1959, registered under the society Act XXI of 1860 Government of India. Based in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, the institute aims to preserve and promote Tibetan musical heritage and arts.
CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Chief Justice Commissioner Kargyu Dhondup at the Yarkyi festival 2018. Photo/Tenzin Phende/DIIR
Artistes performing a group song at the festival. Photo/Tenzin Phende/DIIR
Artistes performing a group song at the festival. Photo/Tenzin Phende/DIIR
Artistes performing a group song at the festival. Photo/Tenzin Phende/DIIR
