Tibet opens seven-day annual festival with grand ceremonies

A grand painting of Lord Buddha was unfolded at the sunrise at the Drepung monastery,a religious event,which the Tibetan authorities here said,was witnessed by some three lakh people from across Tibet and other parts of China as well as the world. The decades-old painting,replica of an ancient one,is put on display for devotees once a year and they walk several kilometers to reach the monastery to have a view of it.

“The painting has a huge religious significance for the Tibetan people and they come to the Drepung monastery along with their children to a have a look at it and offer their prayers,” Xie Ying,Deputy Director of the Government Information Office,Tibet Autonomous Region of China,said. The annual event was held amid tight security with a number of security personnel deputed on the road leading to the monastery to manage the heavy flow of devotees.

Apart from the colourful Tibetan drama performances,a photo exhibition depicting all aspects of the Tibetan people’s lives was organised at the Potala Square outside the famous Potala Palace.

“The photo exhibition,which started in 2008,is being organised in collaboration with the Lhasa Shoton Festival Working Committee,” said Wangiju Duoji,Chairman of the Tibet Photographers’ Association.

He said a number of local photographers have come forward to contribute to the exhibition which is one of the key attractions of the Shoton festival.

Shoton is also known as the Yoghurt Festival as monks are offered curd on this day after they come out of their monasteries,where they are confined to from the fourth to sixth month of the Tibetan calendar to receive education. As soon as they step out of the monasteries,locals offer them yoghurt as part of a centuries-old practice and entertain them with their cultural performances.

Along with the traditional religious activities,trade fairs,tourism promotion events and academic fora are also organised during the festival at a massive scale.