Additional Secretary Dhondul Dorjee, Department of Religion and Culture, CTA, addressing the gathering.
Dharamshala: The Winter Cultural Immersion Program for Tibetan students studying at private schools across India began at the College for Higher Tibetan Studies (CHTS), Sarah, on 21 December 2022. The program is organised by the Department of Religion and Culture, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), in collaboration with CHTS. The program was attended by students from places like Darjeeling, Bangalore Dehradun and Nepal.
This program aims to bring the Tibetan children closer to the Tibetan culture and make them more aware of the distinct culture of Tibet.
The chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the program was Additional Secretary Dhondul Dorjee of the Department of Religion and Culture (DRC), CTA. Other guests at the inaugural ceremony include Principal Passang Tsering of CHTS.
Following a brief introduction of the program, Principal Passang Tsering spoke about the program’s focus on Tibetan language, religion, history, and culture to enhance awareness of Tibetan cultural education. He also explained that the organisers have included various activities like meditation, calligraphy, traditional dance, and music classes to make the program more interesting to the students. A tour of various Tibetan cultural institutions and organisations in Dharamshala is also scheduled for exposure as a part of the program.
In his inaugural remarks, Additional Secretary Dhondul Dorjee commended the students for participating in the program and urged the students to fully utilise the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of Tibetan culture, language, and history during the program. Emphasizing the restriction faced by Tibetan inside Tibetan on practicing our own culture and their contribution, he advised the students to interact and listen to His Holiness’ teachings and read His books to know more about Tibetan culture. He further urged them to display enthusiasm in learning more about Tibet, mentioning the weightage of special responsibility they carry as Tibetans even after the program wraps up.
This 21 days program is supported by USAID under Tibetan Self-Reliance and Resilience (TSRR).
-Report filed by Department of Religion and Culture, CTA
Group photo of the participating students with guests and tutors of the program.
Participants of the Winter Cultural Immersion Program.
