New Delhi, March 26: A five day festival dedicated to Indian government and its people was opened today by the exile Tibetan government’s Prime Minister, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, in the Indian capital.
The festival is part of a series of events marking 50 years of Tibetans in exile. An abortive uprising by Tibetan people against Chinese rule in 1959 forced the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans to flee into exile, with many of them taking refuge in India.
Speaking in Hindi as the chief guest on the occasion at the Indian International Centre, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche thanked the Indian government for its 50 years of hospitality.
The India International Centre, the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of the Central Tibetan Administration and Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi are jointly organising the festival.
The event also aims to commemorate “Tibetan refugees’ dedication and hard work in making wonderful strides in the fields of education, cultural preservation, and community-building and in preserving the basic identity of the Tibetan people under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” the exile government’s website said.
Some of the key features of the festival include screening of films and documentaries, and cultural exhibition, including thangka paintings, metal sculpture and wood carving, traditional carpet and apron weaving, and display of ancient Tibetan literature.
Other highlights include lecture series on Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan culture and Tibet’s environment by some of the most prominent Tibetan and non Tibetan resource personalities on the respective issues, the website said.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will grace the closing day of the festival on 31 March.
