Ladakh celebrates its glorious history with cultural festival

The second annual Ladakh dpal-nams Tuston-2017 (Ladakhi Pride Festival) was dedicated in the honour of the first Ladakhi political and social leader, late Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, on his birth centenary.
The festival was celebrated on November 16 at Leh with an aim to showcase the historical pride of Ladakh to the young generation.
The festival was organised by the local government and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC). Pertinently, late Kushok Bakula Rinpoche was a renowned political leader who worked as an MLA and MP. He also worked as a Buddhist representative in the National Minority Commission for a decade and as India’s Ambassador to Mongolia for a decade.
Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), Dr Sonam Dawa Lonpo presented Ladakh dPal-nams Tuston Award to Tashi Rabgais, a historian and scholar to honour his contribution in preserving and promoting Ladakhi literature, language and academics.
The programme started with a prayer offering at Tsemo Gonpa, a Buddhist temple situated at the hill top near Leh Palace.
As a part of the celebrations, a traditional cultural ceremony showcasing the royal dances of Ladakhi kingdom was also held at Leh Palace prior to the main event of the festival.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Sonam Dawa Lonpo said Ladakh had a history of having great legendary figures and in this transitional phase, it became very important to remember these personalities for their tremendous contributions in bringing Ladakh where it stood today. He stressed the need to take pride and pay tributes by celebrating the contribution and achievements of these legends.
Deachen Chamga, president of the Christian Association of Ladakh, said dedicating this year’s festival to Kushok Bakula Rinpoche was much deserved as he had given his entire life for the welfare of masses without any personal motive. He said Rinpoche had always stressed maintaining communal harmony to prevail peace and prosperity in the region and urged everyone to follow his vision to ensure a better society.