buddha,festivals,himachal pradesh,tibetan Opera Festival Begins In Dharamshala

Pulse

oi-Staff

By Staff

Thursday, October 28, 2021, 9:49

Thousands of foreign tourists and opera enthusiasts have converged in Dharamshala town of Himachal Pradesh, for the ongoing annual Shoton Opera Festival. The festival has started on the evening of 27th March.

The annual-10-day-festival will feature performances of dances, chants and songs.

Different troupes will perform at six different schools around Dharamsala and the closing ceremony will be held at the buddha,festivals,himachal pradesh,tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA).

Under the guidance of the Dalai Lama, the TIPA has been making special arrangements for inviting the opera companies-in-exile to participate in the colourful festival since 1993.

Traditionally, the Shoton festival is celebrated on a full moon day. It marks the end of the long summer retreat of Buddhist monks. The festival originated at the Drepung Monastery of Lhasa in buddha,festivals,himachal pradesh,tibet around the 14th century.

The festival took its name from ''Sho'', or yoghurt served to the monks and nuns who practised purification rituals during the time and ate no meat during full moon days.

This was also the time when operatic re-enactments of stories from the life of the Buddha and his previous births were shown.

"Every year in summer, the opera is held in Norbulingka, the summer palace of His Holiness Dalai Lama. Since the Chinese occupation of buddha,festivals,himachal pradesh,tibet, we could not have this festival in buddha,festivals,himachal pradesh,tibet. So in exile, we have started this festival once again and this is a unique culture where Chinese are also performing," says Tipero, the secretary of buddha,festivals,himachal pradesh,tibetan Opera Association.

"In old buddha,festivals,himachal pradesh,tibet, monks had to stay for long retreat, so people offered yoghurt to the monks. So later this became as a yoghurt festival and people performed opera here," explains Dhondup, the Opera teacher, from TIPA.

The festival will conclude on the 6th of April.