TIPA Returns After Successful Ladakh Tour
Dharamsala, 10 September 2003: With their faith for the Tibetan Buddhist leader rooted deep in them and the undeniable cultural and religious affinity with the Tibetans, the people belonging to the Himalayan region of Keylong and Ladakh were long keen to have a glimpse of Tibetan performing culture, and who can better make their aspirations come true than the melodious and rhythmic troupe of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts based in Dharamsala.
A seventeen member troupe from the exile’s first institute of Tibetan performing arts were in Keylong to participate in the ‘Bodh Mahotsav’ (Buddha Festival) organised by the Department of Tourism, Himachal Pradesh. The two-day festival began in Keylong from 16th August this year. Raja Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, who lit the inaugural lamp, was the Chief Guest.
The artists from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts displayed a wide range of songs and dances from the treasury of the Tibetan performing culture. Artists from various places in India also took part in the festival to promote tourism in Himachal Pradesh.
The Tibetan artists received a splendid response from the audience and the guests alike. The Tibetan artists were requested to perform a song in the end of every show in order to prevent the spectators from leaving the show.
The troupe, with reinforcement of 23 more artists from the institute, left for Ladakh to promote the rich cultural heritage of Tibet, among them Lhamo Opera being the focus of the tour.
The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts had visited Ladakh after twenty-five years which gave the senior artists, whose number has reduced substantially today, all reasons to feel nostalgic about their visit almost three decades back.
The troupe led by the institute’s Director, Ms. Kalsang Youdon Dagpo, took part in the ‘Ladakh Festival’ organised by the Ladakh Hill Council under the auspices of the Department of Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir.
Talking to tibet.net, Ms. Kalsang said the artists’ performance was well received by the Tibetans and the Ladakhis in the region. “The Ladakhis showed an intense enthusiasm in Tibetan folk culture and Opera though it seemed they were not so familiar with the art as there were a very few people, mostly Tibetans, who brought the customary food and butter-tea to the Opera show’, she told this reporter.
The Tibetan artists performed the story of ‘Sukyi Nyima’ which kept the spectators glued to their seats for the whole day.
The troupe held two separate performances for the TCV School, Choglamsar, and the public. They performed Opera Sukyi Nyima, Dances from the roof of the world and modern Tibetan songs by its home band ‘AA kA Ma’. For the first time in so many years, the school hall of TCV, Choglamsar, saw overcrowding of people who had come to experience the magic of Tibetan musical tradition.
The Ladakh tour is a part of the project funded by the Danish Tibet Committee to promote the art in Tibetan children in order to preserve and promote this unique tradition.
“The people of Ladakh were very much impressed by our shows and we even got requests from them seeking invitation to next year’s ‘Shoton’ festival. Especially, the youngsters were very enthusiastic in learning Lhamo and other forms of performing arts from our institute”, said Ms. Kalsang.
” The administration of the TCV School, Choglamsar, gave us a warm reception and hospitality for which my institute and I remain ever grateful to them”, she said.