India-Bhutan friendship celebrated at Tawang in Arunachal
The festival, held annually, centers around the 12th-century Gorsam Chorten, a 93-foot stupa built by Lama Pradhar, predating the famous Tawang Monastery.
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Itanagar: Thousands of devotees, including a significant number of Bhutanese nationals, gathered at Zemithang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district from March 26-29, to celebrate the annual Gorsam Kora festival, a vibrant display of shared Himalayan Buddhist cultural heritage and the enduring India-Bhutan friendship.
The festival, held annually, centers around the 12th-century Gorsam Chorten, a 93-foot stupa built by Lama Pradhar, predating the famous Tawang Monastery. This stupa, modeled after Nepal's Boudhanath Stupa, holds deep spiritual significance, mirroring the Chorten Kora in Trashiyangtse, Bhutan, built in 1740.
The event, organized by the local Zemithang community with support from civil authorities and the Indian Army, commenced with an invocation by Thengtse Rinpoche and prayers at the Khinzemane Holy Tree, believed to be planted by the 14th Dalai Lama.
Zemithang is historically significant as the 14th Dalai Lama's sanctuary upon his 1959 escape from Tibet.
Marking the auspicious last day of the first Lunar month, the festival saw monks performing sacred mantras and rituals, attracting pilgrims and Lamas from Bhutan, Tawang, and neighboring regions, fostering cultural exchange.
This year, approximately 73 Bhutanese, 15 Nepalese, and one Japanese traveler participated in trade activities, enhancing cross-border connections.
The three-day celebration featured diverse events, including performances by local cultural troupes and Indian Army bands, as well as martial displays like Mallakhamb and Zanjh Pathaka.
The Zemithang Valley, with villages under the Central government's Vibrant Village Programme, also hosted community engagement activities, including medical camps.
This year’s festival was celebrated under the theme “Zero Waste Festival”, with cleanliness drives organized by the Further and Beyond Foundation, in collaboration with the Indian Army and local administration, emphasizing environmental sustainability alongside the cultural festivities.