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Sikyong Penpa Tsering Attends 27th Himalayan Festival
Dharamshala: The Indo-Tibetan Friendship Association marked the two-day 27th Himalayan Festival to commemorate the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the auditorium of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) on Sunday.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration attended the official programme of the festival as the guest of honour. Other distinguished guests were Shri Raghubir Singh Bali, MLA of Nagrota and Cabinet Rank Minister of Himachal Pradesh Tourism, as the chief guest and Smt. Neenu Sharma, Mayor of Dharamshala Municipal Corporation as special guest.
In his address, Sikyong spoke on the significance of the event, stating that it brings the residents of Dharamshala and Tibetans together to celebrate the cultural exchange on a common forum through various artistic representations. Sikyong apprised the audience of the Indo-Tibet ancient ties, tracing the relation for centuries.
The democratically-elected leader further highlighted the derivation of the Tibetan script from India and the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet from the same origin. Regarding such a significant connection with India, Sikyong stated, “We are very proud to say that we are a repository of one part of ancient Indian wisdom”.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering further expressed pride in having the Central Tibetan Administration established in Dharamshala, and in addition, stated that the Tibetan community is the only exiled community with a complete democratic structure and polity in the world.
The exiled Tibetan leader also spoke about the commemoration of the Human Rights Day by the international community, observed on the same day. He further expressed gratitude to the Government of India, particularly the State Government of Himachal Pradesh and its people for the kindness towards Tibetans during such a critical juncture of history, where political space is absent for Tibetans in Tibet. Before concluding his remarks, Sikyong expressed optimism and hope for the sustenance of the Indo-Tibet relations, particularly where the interests of the two countries meet.
The festival was started in the year 1995 to commemorate the international recognition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s peace initiatives with the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize on 10 December 1989. This cultural festival particularly symbolizes peace initiative and is aimed at reinforcing inter-communal interaction and friendship between local Indians and the Tibetan community, while fostering appreciation and understanding among people from different cultural backgrounds.
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Sikyong Penpa Tsering Attends 27th Himalayan Festival. Photo/Tenzin Jigme/ CTA
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Group Photo of Dignitaries Present During the Event. Photo/Tenzin Jigme/ CTA
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Sikyong Penpa Tsering Addressing the Gathering. Photo/Tenzin Jigme/ CTA
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Sikyong Penpa Tsering Attends 27th Himalayan Festival. Photo/Tenzin Jigme/ CTA
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Shri Raghubir Singh Bali Being Presented with Tibetan Thangka Painting as a Token of Gift. Photo/ Tenzin Jigme/ CTA
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Shri Raghubir Singh Bali Addressing the Gathering. Photo/ Tenzin Jigme/ CTA
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Sikyong Penpa Tsering and Shri Raghubir Singh Bali. Photo/ Tenzin Jigme/ CTA
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Cultural Performance. Photo/ Tenzin Jigme /CTA
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Cultural Performance. Photo/ Tenzin Jigme/ CTA
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Tibetan Cultural Performance. Photo/ Tenzin Jigme/ CTA