Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 29 : The Tibetan cultural festival, being held from May 28 to May 30, commenced in Dharamshala, showcasing Tibetan culture, history and traditions through exhibitions, performances and cultural displays.
The festival was inaugurated by Sikyong/President of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering and organised by the exile administration with multiple stalls and exhibitions highlighting Tibetan heritage and cultural practices. The event aims to strengthen engagement with the Indian community and raise awareness about Tibetan culture and history.

Tsering said the exhibition has been organised after many years by the Department of Information and International Relations along with several other organisations. He noted that the Tibetan community has been living in exile in India for the past 65 years and expressed gratitude to the Indian government and various state governments for supporting Tibetan settlements.

"The Department of Information and International Relations, along with many other organisations, has organised this exhibition after many years. In fact, we have been living in exile here in India for the last 65 years and we do believe that Indians should know about Tibet but unfortunately, India is a very large country with 1.4 billion people so not everybody knows about Tibet and this is also a way to express our gratitude towards the center government and governments of the other states in helping Tibetan settlements in India," he said

"So with this exhibition, we hope that people will understand more about Tibet. I believe that Indians should know more about Tibet because we have a boundary with India from Arunachal Pradesh to Jammu and Kashmir...", he added.



Visitors attending the festival also expressed enthusiasm about the experience. Vani Sharma, a visitor from Shimla, said she attended the event to learn more about Tibetan culture, lifestyle and issues faced by the community.
"I am here just to experience this new Tibetan culture, like how they live, what their issues are, and how they try to address them. It's completely a new experience, new delicacy, new handicrafts, new culture and new performances, so it's a completely new experience to be here today. It's an exhilarating experience. I was completely unaware of how they are living in exile, and hearing their new prime minister is also a new experience," shared Vani.
The ongoing festival is drawing large crowds from Dharamshala and nearby regions throughout its duration.