15^th Shoton opera festival begins

Monday, March 29, 2010

Phayul
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Gyalwang Karmapa arriving for the festival, photo : Tibet Times

Dharamsala, March 28 – The 15^th Shoton Opera festival has kicked off yesterday at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts here. Around 300 artistes from nine opera troupes in exile will participate in the opera festival that began to be held in exile since 1995.

The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa graced the opening of the festival that was also attended by local Tibetans and tourists. Each troupe performed 30 minutes of their opera.

This year, the opera troupes will perform at various schools in and around Dharamsala. The last three days of the festival will be held at TIPA. Tenzin Lhaksam, the secretary of the institute, said the idea behind holding the performances in schools is to introduce the ancient Tibetan art to future generation of Tibetans. "His Holiness always advice us that the opera tradition of Tibet must be conserved so that our future generations can cherish the art, and we hope this is a move in the right direction."

The artistes were granted a special audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama today.

In Tibet, the festival is held each year from the end of the sixth month to the middle of the seventh month on the Tibetan Lunar calendar.

However, in Tibet; such popular Tibetan festivals, which attract large Tibetan gatherings, are strictly monitored and controlled by Chinese authorities disturbing free celebration of the events. The Communist authorities remain suspicious anticipating possible Tibetan demonstrations against China.

Tracing the historical account of Tibet, there exists two theories, which explain the origins of Shoton festival. According to the first - in India, Lord Buddha initiated the practice of monks going on a summer retreat. When Buddhism flourished in Tibet, this practice was believed to have adopted by many monasteries in Tibet. The monks of Drepung monasteries in Tibet go into summer retreat on the 15th day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar. These 'Disciplinary Monks' were replaced on the 30th day of the same month. This particular occasion is known as Drepung Shoton.

The other origin of the Shoton is concerned with Jamyang Choje Tashi Palden, the main disciple of Je Tsongkhapa, who was born on the 6th day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar (Earth-Sheep year) at Samye. In Wood-Sheep year, 1415, Jamyang Choje saw many auspicious signs in dreams when he lived in Ne'u. Later Je Tsongkhapa met Jamyang Choje personally and advised him to build a religious institution for the propagation of his own traditional Sutra Tantra and for the benefits of others. Moreover, Je Tsongkhapa laid the foundation stone for the institution.