CTA’s ‘Thank You Himachal Pradesh’ held in Shimla
DHARAMSALA, Oct 16: India has a culture of “Atithi Devo Bhava” and Tibetans living in India for the past 60 years are part of the one big family says Acharya Dev Vrat, the Governor of Himachal Pradesh.
The Governor made the remarks while speaking as the Chief Guest at the “Thank You Himachal” public event held yesterday at the Ridge Ground in Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh.
The Governor further said that India and Tibet has an integral cultural and business relationships which dates back to centuries.
The event began with a special video message from the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama thanking the government and the people of Himachal Pradesh for generously hosting him and the Tibetan people for the last 59 years.
The Dalai Lama who has been residing in Dharamsala in Himachal’s Kangra district since the summer of 1960 referred to Himachal’s Governor and Chief Minister as “my Governor” and “my Chief minister” in the video message as he offered his gratitude to the past and the present administration of the state for their support and offered to always remember them in his prayers.
The CTA President expressed his gratitude for the generous support of the Himachal Government and its people in his address and said the government and the people of India have done the most to the Tibetan people.
“It is a karmic connection that His Holiness the Dalai Lama came from Lhasa, the land of gods, and found refuge in Dev Bhumi, the other name for Himachal Pradesh which also means the land of gods,” President Sangay further said.
The event was also attended by former CM Vir Badhra Singh, Mahendra Singh, Minister of Irrigation and Public Health along with the Tibetan dignitaries comprising CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay, Finance Minister Karma Yeshi, Health Minister Choekyong Wangchuk, and Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok.
Cultural performances were presented during the event by the artists from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts which was followed by felicitation of Dharma Chakra to Shri Acharya Dev Vrat and former CM Virbhadra Singh by the Tibetan administration in exile.
CTA has declared 2018 as the year of gratitude to thank friends of Tibet and the Tibetan people from the past and present across the world and ‘Thank you Himachal’ is part of CTA’s kicked year-long ‘Thank You India’ campaign to mark 60 years of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s arrival in India.
