By karze Sonam Wangdue (tsam member)
Tibetan Student Association’s Madras organized a mega ‘TIBET FESTIVAL’ with accommodation big heartedly and generously provided by Acha Kalsang in Tibet pavilion at Auroville in Tamil Nadu from 22nd December 2006 to 24th December 2006.
On 22nd in the presence of Major General K.K. TAWARI (retired officer who was a war of prisoner during the Chinese attack on India On 20th oct. 1962. He was recipient of Ati Visishth sewa Medal and Param Visishth sewa. He also authored a book ‘A soldier’s voyage of self discovery’) as chief guest inaugurated the festival by illuminating the butter lamp in front of the portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The sole purpose of this Tibet festival was to draw the world attention to rich, loaded and authentic Tibetan culture, Tibetan medicine, religion and costumes and to preserve the same which are being annihilated systematically by the communist fist with brutality and inhumane manner. In such situation, it is responsibility of each and every Tibetans to take it as a serious matter and to bring to light the Tibetan culture, Tibetan medicine, religion and costumes to the world platform to bear out the differences between China and Tibet. Since the Auroville is an international place, consisting of fifty and odd number of pavilions of different countries, Tibetan students in Madras took this privilege and chance to explicit their unique Tibetan identity in Tibetan pavilion. The number of audiences being attended in the festival was highly numbered and TSAM (Tibetan students’ association Madras) family received lot of appreciations and appraisals.
On 22nd, they displayed an excellent assortment of exhibitions, dividing in different departments like, Losar department (New Year), Religious department, Political and Historical department, Tibetan medicine department, Audio-visual department, Tibetan cultural department, Photo department and Tibetan library. Besides, they installed a restaurant and sold momos, tingmo-phing-sha, chomiem, thukpa, Tibetan herbal tea, butter tea, etc. Hundred of foreigners turned out to see the exhibitions and to taste the Tibet festival from the roof of the world.
On 23rd during the day time, they kept carrying the exhibitions. But, in the evening by 7:30, they arranged a buffet where the number of foreigners turned to taste Tibetan food was around three hundreds. By 8 pm sharp, in the crammed full audience of 400 foreigners, a mesmerized cultural show was performed by adroit Tibetan students. Over and above, having six Tibetan dances, 3 Tibetan solos and two group songs, ‘Buddha boys’ band in Chennai,( consist of four young and talented Tibetan students from madras) also exhilarated the audiences with their patriotic songs.
On 24th, TSAM displayed the exhibitions as usual. The response from visitors was doubled than the previous day. And in the lunch time, TSAM sold out food too. Since, the number of visitors to taste Tibetan food doubly augmented that many of visitors didn’t get the taste of Tibetan food, for within short time, everything was sold. “I am so sorry about that, as many of our visitors couldn’t taste our delicious food. If we get chance to hold another Tibet festival here in Tibetan pavilion, we will enlarge restaurant aspect”. Rinchen Tashi, the president of Tsam said apologetically. By, 5pm, an evaluation and feedback section was thronged on effect of Tibet festival. It was followed by the conclusion with a brief gathering where Major General K.K. TIWARI talked about his experiences as a war of prisoner and his love and support to Tibet.
Tibetan Student’s Association of Madras is an independent, non-profit student’s body formed formerly in 1993 on few responsible students’ initiation. Currently, this association has 120 members
