Tibetans host grand celebration to mark Dalai Lama’s 77th birthday

AMEET OBEROI
GANGTOK, 06 July: The Tibetan community here and their well-wishers gathered here at the Sera-jey Dro-phen-ling Monastery at Chandmari in strong numbers to celebrate the 77th birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama today. The celebration was hosted jointly by the Tibetan Settlement Office, Gangtok, Panjha Kiduk and the Tibetan Youth Club and featured a host of cultural performances and prayers.
Addressing the congregation, chief guest for the day, Speaker, Sikkim Legislative Assembly, KT Gyaltsen, paid rich homage to the Dalai Lama and his teachings, stressing that the Dalai Lama has always spoken and acted for the well being of all mankind.
“We have come together to celebrate the 77th birthday of our spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, and on this occasion it is all the more important for us to dedicate ourselves to his teachings which we have a responsibility to promote and spread,” he said.
“The Dalai Lama is an emanation of the Bodisattva of Compassion and his knowledge and his teachings need to be accepted and practised in our day to day life,” the Speaker said and added that people may belong to different religions, castes and communities, “but our race is one and that is being human”.
He further highlighted the various topics such as democracy, religion, non violence, harmony, women’s rights and empowerment on which the Dalai Lama has spoken over the years and stressed that his wisdom needs to incorporated into our daily lives to prove beneficial.
He also commended the Tibetan community in Sikkim for their contributions towards the development of the State, the Speaker and expressed hope that their involvement in Sikkim’s progress and development would continue in the future as well.
The celebration was also attended by Minister for Health and Animal Husbandry DN Thakarpa, the HRDD Minister NK Pradhan, Gangtok MLA Dorjee Namgyal, Deputy Mayor Shakti Singh, Secretary Ecclesiastical Department, Rimpoches, head lamas of various monastries and the people of the Tibetan community.
Earlier, the felicitation message of the Tibetan Kashag and the welcome address was read out by the Tibetan Settlement Officer, who also thanked the State government and the Sikkimese people for having hosted the Tibetan people for the past 53 years. The felicitation message of the Tibetan Parliament was read out by Tashi Phuntsok [president, Bod Rawang Denpai Legul Tsokchung].
A cultural programme was also presented by students of Thumbi Sambota School, along with performances by children of the Tibetan community. A Citation was also presented on the day to a Tibetan senior citizen for his contributions towards the Tibetan struggle and an award to a student from Thumi Samghota on the day.