By Tenzin Lhaksam
Dharamsala, February 17 – More than 230 Tibetan artistes have gathered in Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement in Orissa to participate in the 16th Shoton Opera Festival. The weeklong opera festival was organized under the auspices of Tibetan National Opera Association in alliance with Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts.
The festival kicked off today at the main open ground adjacent to the Settlement Office amidst fanfare and jubilation. His eminence Namkha Drimed Rinpoche, a highly revered Nyingma master graced the event as the chief guest, along with hordes of local Indian and Tibetan officials. Thousands of Tibetan residents gathered to witness the traditional Tibetan festival celebrating Tibetan opera.
Speaking on the the occasion, Mr.Sonam Choephel Shosur, the Director of Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts said His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself has specially advised the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts to establish a separate body that would work towards revival of Tibetan opera and also in organizing the Shoton Opera Festival in various settlements, other than Dharamsala, the hub of Tibetan exile community.
Initially started as Drepung Shoton, this festival of Tibetan opera gained significance during the reign of 13th Dalai Lama Thupten Gyatso. Eventually, the erstwhile Tibetan Government formed a special body Tsechag Lhekung (Treasury Department) and entrusted it with responsibility of organizing the yearly Shoton Opera Festival. Under the supervision of this body, four major opera companies, Gyankara, Shungpa, Chungpa, Kyormulungpa and twelve minor troupes took part in the festival at Norbulinka, the summer seat of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In Tibet, the festival is held each year from the end of the sixth month to the middle of the seventh month on the Tibetan Lunar calendar.
Sadly after Chinese occupation, opera troupes were disbanded throughout Tibet and Shoton Opera festival eventually ceased to exist. However, sensing the influence and hold of Tibetan opera on psyche of Tibetan people, opera performance was later exploited and abused by the invading Chinese Communist regime as a compelling mechanism to propagate communist doctrine to Tibetan people.
Coming into exile, opera enthusiasts and former opera artistes, engaged in road construction in remote Indian hills made special effort in reviving tradition of Tibetan opera. On special occasion, these aficionados would arrange modest performance for interested crowd and onlookers. From 1970, onward Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts made particular effort in reviving tradition of Tibetan opera. Various experts and senior artistes within community were invited to teach the artistes about the fundamentals and essence of Tibetan opera. From 1993 onwards, on the advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, various existing opera companies within different settlements were invited to take part in Annual Shoton Opera Festival in Dharamsala, parallel to the one held at Norbulinka in independent Tibet.
Phuntsokling Tibetan settlement is home to more than 3000 Tibetan refugees. Established in 1963, it is one of the largest Tibetan settlements in eastern India. Of the nine opera companies in exile, only seven opera associations are taking part in this year’s festival. The 16th Shoton Opera festival will conclude on the 23rd of February 2011.
