Rewalsar, Mandi: After successfully concluding official engagements in Bir and Chauntara, Sikyong Penpa Tsering visited Rewalsar (famously known as Tso Pema) in Mandi District, where he offered prayers at the sacred Guru Rinpoche meditation caves and the towering statue of Guru Padmasambhava.

Sikyong then visited Buddhist monasteries around the sacred lake, namely the Zigar Drukpa Kargyud Institute, Zangdok Palri Palace Monastery, Drikung Kagyu Monastic School, and Orgyen Heruka Nyingmapa Gompa.

The day’s itinerary also included visits to Rewalsar Tibetan Coordinator Office, Tibetan Primary Health Centre, and Himalayan Learning Centre.

Later in the day, Sikyong addressed the Tibetan residents of Rewalsar. In his address, he remarked, “Our official visits to settlements and community centres around the world aim to build bridges and strengthen the foundation of trust between our scattered communities and the Central Tibetan Administration.”

Addressing the longstanding issue of land and housing in Rewalsar—where the majority of Tibetan settlers lack land ownership and the Central Tibetan Administration holds no land—Sikyong elaborated on the 16th Kashag’s initiative to rebuild compact communities. These initiatives are designed to provide land and housing facilities to eligible Tibetan beneficiaries across India. He stressed the importance of having a clear and updated understanding of such welfare schemes, and urged the public to make informed appeals. “Appeals made without awareness often yield no meaningful results,” Sikyong noted. “However, if the issues raised are genuine and pertain to basic needs, it is our responsibility, as elected leaders, to address and fulfil them.”

Expanding on this theme, Sikyong briefed the gathering on similar undertakings by the 16th Kashag in various other settlements, aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of Tibetan settlements and institutions—an effort he emphasised as vital to the continued pursuit of Tibetan freedom and justice.

Sikyong also addressed recent political developments, including the unprecedented visit to Tibet by a high-level Chinese delegation led by President Xi Jinping. Sikyong described the visit, held under the pretext of commemorating the 60th anniversary of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, as a clear indication of the Chinese Communist Party’s unease in light of the international attention surrounding the 90th birthday (Ghoton) celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. “The extensive global support and condemnation of China’s interference in the reincarnation process of His Holiness clearly unsettled the Chinese leadership,” Sikyong stated.

Following his address, Sikyong engaged with the audience, responding to questions and offering clarifications on various concerns raised by community members.

Sikyong was accompanied on this visit by Additional Secretary Tashi Dekyi, Mandi Tibetan Settlement Officer Jamyang Dolma, and Rewalsar Tibetan Coordinator Tenzin Palden.