Matters India reporter
Sonada, July 8 — A Tibetan settlement school in the Darjeeling hills held its first annual cultural show as well as celebrated 84th birthday of the spiritual leader of the Tibetans in exile His Holiness Dalai Lama, 8th July 2019.
“It is customary for us to extend the birthday celebrations of HH Dalai Lama over a couple of days, even though it occurs on 6th July,” said Secretary of Tibetan Settlement in Darjeeling Mr Tashi Wangdue attending the program.
The celebrations took place in front of a well decorated altar in Tashiling Hall adjacent to the monastery with the cut-out of Dalai Lama seated with a benevolent smile. On the side wall of the stage was a large flex print with the picture of a smiling Dalai Lama greeting the audience with folded hands along with text in Tibetan and English “His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the sun in the sky, the jewel of the world, the light in our hearts, may you live a long life.”
“We have organised this cultural program for the first time to mark the first anniversary of the institution of Sambhota Tibetan School in Sonada,” said Principal Ms Tenzin Nagdon.
The school was originally established near the Tibetan Monastery at Sonada mid-way between Kurseong and Darjeeling, in 1975 for Tibetan refugee children. Under the administration of Central School for Tibetan’s till 2018 when the school was instituted as Sambhota Tibetan School.
“By offering this platform to students to show case their talents we hope to preserve our rich culture and heritage [in exile] being away from motherland Tibet for so long,” says Ms Nagdon.
Dalai Lama fled Tibet from Chinese occupation in 1959 and arrived in India, 60 years ago.
Sambhota school at Sonada has 168 students studying in class 1 to class 10. They hail from Sonada settlement as well as from Nepal-Tibet border.
After class 10, students go to Tibetan Higher Secondary schools in Darjeeling or Mussoorie, near Dehradun.
The two hour program consisted of a medley of ethnic Tibetan songs and traditional dances mostly in praise of, with appreciation for and gratitude towards Dalai Lama with the entire student community participating.
The students of class 8 touched an emotional chord in the audience with their rendering of a tearful song recalling their lost past in the now Chinese occupied Tibet and their determination to hold on to their religion, culture and tradition.
The Darjeeling-Sikkim hills have two Sambhota schools in Sonada and Ravangla (Sikkim) and two Central Schools for Tibetans in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.