By Phurbu Thinley,
Phayul Correspondent
Dharamsala – Come October and it is usually the most happening and the busiest month for Tibetans in exile here in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala.
In little over 40 years, this once a remote hill station of Dharamsala, more specifically McLeod has evolved into a very vibrant modern town wearing Tibetan outlook and has even managed to find a possible mention on a world map.
Dharamsala, today, is a “must stop” tourist spot for many foreigners while touring the large territory of India and offers minimum modern-day amenities to suffice the needs of commercial tourism. In recent times, it has become a “must visit” place for many renowned celebrities from various walks of life and, is increasingly becoming more popular for local Indian tourists too.
These people come here mainly to get a glimpse of the Tibet’s most revered and the highest spiritual leader, and the Tibetan political leader in exile, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. Others visit this place to merely seek wisdom and solace in His regular teachings or, engage in spiritual and other educational pursuits. Still many more simply come here to holiday or for the chance to experience a part of the Tibetan world in India.
Marking almost the complete end of more than three long months of monsoon season, October is a much awaited month when maximum happening-activities take place among Tibetans here in Dharamsala. After long incessant rain that heavily lashes this little town nestled on a hilly slope, the forthcoming of October awakens the almost dampened spirits of people here with pleasant weather.
May be it is this bright pleasurable weather that urges people to organize so many outdoor activities in this very month. Listen closely to local people’s conversation and many will agree that it is the weather, which makes October a month for special outdoor events.
Whatever be the reason, let October start and a series of events will unfold themselves one after another.
And this year, to excite more, the October Session of the exile Tibetan Assembly will see the appointment of new Kalons (Cabinet Ministers) of the Central Tibetan Administration. Speculations of who are to be the candidates of Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche, who was recently re-elected the Tibetan Prime Minister in exile by the Tibetans for the second consecutive term, of his next team of other ministers are already very much rife among Tibetans. So, this year, October is going to be very exciting for Tibetans from its very beginning,
And then there is a series of cultural shows and other events by the Tibetan Youth Congress’ regional chapters to commemorate the founding day, on October 7, of Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest Tibetan non-governmental organization in exile. Then, there will be almost a week long event of the Fifth Miss Tibet beauty pageant contest. And Lobsang Wangyal, producer-director of the pageant, has already promised that this year there will be more surprises, hinting more participants as compared to earlier contests.
Above all, the three-day Upper Tibetan Children’s Village (UTCV) School’s Lingkha- founding day-cum-annual sports meet, is the most entertaining and the single largest event of the month. And usually His Holiness the Dalai Lama spends a day of His, otherwise very busy everyday schedule, in the school to grace the opening day Function. This will be shortly followed by Lower TCV’s annual sports day meet in October itself.
Besides, there will be several other events covering the whole of October month. With less than a week away, the fever of October month is already high in the people’s mind. If only you were here at this time, you can well feel that excitement too.
Dharamsala is the administrative capital of the Tibetan Government in Exile (TGIE) and is the exile home town of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. It is from here that the TGIE, led by the Dalai Lama, administers the Tibetan political affairs and welfare of the Tibetan Diasporas scattered across the world.
TGIE is presently working out to resolve the issue of Tibet in a meaningful way by seeking a genuine autonomy for Tibet within the constitutional framework of China through peaceful and non-violent approach.
Dharamsala is home to about 10,000 Tibetan political refugees and still many more Tibetans pouring in to escape the harsh political situation back in their home country under Communist Chinese regime. For Tibetans, Dharamsala has become the centre for the preservation and promotion of Tibetan culture and for the fulfillment of their educational needs. It is here where most of the central institutions and foundations of exile Tibetans are being set-up.
Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA), Institute of Buddhist Dialectics (IBD), Tibetan Library and Archive, Tibet Museum, Norbulingka Institute, Sahara Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Tibetan Children’s Village School (TCV), the largest Tibetan residential school in exile and one of the largest school of its kind in India, to name few and a number of Tibetan Buddhist monastic institutes are located here.
Besides, several other Tibetan NGOs and welfare organisation groups are also functioning from here, more than anywhere else. Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women’s Association, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy and Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet are among the most prominent of them all.
