Guwahati: Tibetan leader in exile Dalai Lama will grace the five-day ‘Festival of Tibetan Art and Culture’ to be held in Guwahati for the first time from February 2 to 6 next.
The festival that is being held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra will celebrate the unique culture and traditions of Tibetans living in India in exile.
Dalai Lama who had once passed through this city in 1959 after his escape from Tibet via the Khenzimani Pass in Arunachal Pradesh. The Tibetan Prime Minister in exile Lobsang Sangay will grace the Closing ceremony on February 6.
Organisers of the festival informed that visitors could witness Tibetan traditional Thangka paintings being drawn by Tibetan artists, enjoy Tibetan cuisine, watch monks create Sand Mandala and butter sculpture, see Tibetan woodcarving art and also buy traditional Tibetan handicraft products made by Tibetan refugees.
“During the five days, visitors can be part of a unique experience – one that will leave a lasting impression in their minds about the beauty and the sheer magic of Tibetan culture.
Through this festival, the organizers hope to bring Tibet closer to the minds of the people of the northeast including the Assamese people.
It is a great way of sharing the Buddhist culture and tradition with the people of the northeastern states, and also a wonderful way to build a lasting friendship with our brothers and sisters from the northeast,” said Prema Khandu, chairman of the organizing committee and minister for Tourism in Arunachal Pradesh government.
A photo exhibition titled ‘Tibet – A long look homeward’ will display hundreds of rare photographs documenting Tibet’s history, culture, religion, early days of exile and the Tibetan journey from displaced community to a vibrant democracy.
Documentary films on Tibet will also be screened during the five days followed by Q and A sessions.
Books on Tibet, its culture, religion and history etc. will also be available for purchase. Doctors from the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute will be available for consultation at medical camps at the festival venue.
Dances: The artistes from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts will perform traditional Tibetan songs and dances. Cultural troupes from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will also perform their traditional dances at the festival.
Talks & seminars on Buddhism, Tibetan culture and various other topics by eminent speakers including Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, former Tibetan prime minister and Chancellor of Sanchi University, will also be held.
