Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
A festival of many firsts
The Naropa Festival is a five-day long fete which recently ended with a spectacular range of cultural events. From traditional dance performances to musical concerts by prominent Himalayan and Bollywood artists like Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher, Papon, Aditi Singh Sharma and Akriti Kakar, the festival had it all.
Setting the tone of Naropa Festival 2018, spiritual leaders Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, spiritual regent to Gyalwang Drukpa, and Khamdrak Rinpoche, chairperson of the festival, led prayers for the wellness of all living beings on the opening day. This was followed by cultural performances, an archery competition, fashion shows and live performances as a tribute to Naropa – the Indian scholar-saint and patron saint of the Drukpa lineage, who emphasised the importance of experiential knowledge and ushered in several cherished pillars of Buddhist philosophy through his lifetime.
The festival officially kick-started on September 16 with the unveiling of Naropa’s Crown Ornament (one of Naropa’s famed six bone ornaments), along with a set of ancient spiritual relics of the Buddhist tradition. These rarely-seen holy artefacts were on display for all five days of the festival, drawing large crowds and pilgrims. Also, unfurling the largest silk embroidery of Buddha Amitabha, which is about 70ft long was another highlight of the festival.
Those who attended the Naropa Festival included the ambassadors and embassy representatives of various countries like South Korea, Italy, the United States, Brazil and Bhutan. The chief executive councillor, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Dorjey Motup, and a procession of venerable masters, monks and nuns from across the Himalayas were also present.
Another highlight of the festival was the inaugural class of the Naropa Fellowship, a new one-year post-graduate academic programme designed to support the next generation of leaders in India and the greater Himalayas was introduced, along with Ladakh’s first EDM album by the region’s young musicians, Rhythm of the Stars.
This year, the festival concluded with a new Guinness world record for Ladakh, India, earning the title of Largest Ladakhi Dance, when 299 women from the region gracefully performed the famous dance of Shondol.