Tibetans all over the world will celebrate their new year today and a small town in south India is preparing to rock through the night.
Yesterday was to see the end of 2030, the year of the "Water Sheep," and today the start of 2031, the year of the "Wood Monkey."
PHOTO: AP
The otherwise lazy town of Bylakuppe, about 300km from the IT hub of Bangalore, has a sizeable Tibetan population who are planning a party with a fete, ritual dances at monasteries and a music concert organized by new Tibetan group, Gonpo Entertainment.
"We are looking forward to the concert," said an excited youth. "We don't see such events in our settlement. The evening will be full of music and fun."
Some renowned Tibetan musicians from India, Nepal, the US and Switzerland are due to perform at the concert.
"We will have a 10,000 watt sound system to blast the concert!" said one of the organizers.
Bylakuppe is home to Sera monastery, which was re-established in the Indian town after the Chinese destroyed the original in Tibet.
It has a population of around 10,000, some 3,000 of whom are monks at the monastery.
In Dharamsala, the northern hillstation where the Tibetan government in exile has set up its headquarters, Losar will be celebrated in prayer and in family reunions, officials said.
With exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama being on retreat, the prayer ceremony, Tsedor, on the first day of the Tibetan New Year, will be led by the chief abbot of Namgyal monastery in Dharamsala.
The Tibetan lunar calendar was adopted from the Chinese system during the reign of 7th century Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo. The king's Chinese consort, Wengchen Kongjo, brought the Chinese calendar to Tibet.
The preparations begin on the 29th day of the 12th Tibetan month with ritual ceremonies to drive away evil spirits so that the New Year will begin with fresh positive energies.
On New Year's eve, the altars are decorated with offerings of edibles and religious relics. Food and drink stocks are piled well in advance.
During the holidays, which usually last one week, new clothes are made, houses and their surroundings are cleaned and walls are painted.
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS