11th August 2021 marks the 62nd founding anniversary of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. The significant annual event of the Yarkyi Festival took place on this day where two house groups performed a duet, a group song and two dances. This year, the entire musical instrumental notes are focused primarily on the Tibetan folk customs. The event had telecasted live via Facebook, YouTube, website and Tibet TV. Around twenty-four thousand people watched the live show, sparking an extensive audience interest compared to last year figure. This year, Ngonpa house won the Yarkyi 2021 trophy against Gyalu house.
The chief guest at the ceremony was Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration, and the special guest was Shri Jambay Wangdi, Chairman, Department of Karmik and Adhyatmik (Choe-Rig), Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
Other chief guests include Chief Justice Commissioner Sonam Norbu Dagpo and the two justice commissioners Karma Dadul and Tenzin Lungtok. Heads of the autonomous bodies and Secretaries of the various departments of the Central Tibetan Administration were also present at the annual festival.
In his address, Sikyong Penpa Tsering spoke about the rich cultural bond shared by Tibet and its neighbouring Himalayan regions particularly in the form of Tibetan Buddhism and medicine. He highlighted the increasing number of monks and nuns from the Himalayan regions enrolled in Tibetan monasteries and said this is all because of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s vision and blessings.
He lauded the artists and members of TIPA for their hard work and said it’s obvious from the performances that a lot of effort has gone into the preparation. He said that the themes of the performances have deep-rooted meanings and emotions.
In his address, Shri Jambay Wangdi from the State government of Arunachal Pradesh read out the congratulatory letter from Shri Pema Khandu, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. Expressing gratitude to TIPA on behalf of the Arunachal Pradesh people for providing training to the MIPA artists, Shri Jambay Wangdi spoke about the importance of preserving one’s own culture and traditions and hailed TIPA as a source of inspiration for all including Monpas.
Sikyong also launched a few books published by TIPA on the occasion including a book on Tibetan emperor Tri Ralpachan, and three books on the core music curriculum for the trainees of TIPA.
