Boulder – Although the local Tibetan community may be small, they celebrated the Dalai Lama’s 70th birthday in a big way Saturday during the World Tibet Day Festival.
“He truly embodies universal wisdom and universal compassion,” said Nawang Khechog, a Boulder musician and Grammy nominee. “He is our symbol of Tibet.”
Dalai Lama, the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, celebrated his birthday last week. He is an advocate for nonviolence and world peace.
The Tibetan Association of Colorado has for the past three years hosted the World Tibet Day Festival, held in Boulder. Other celebrations took place this weekend in more than 57 cities around the world.
The festival in Colorado seeks to celebrate Tibetan culture and bring awareness about the Tibetans who were forced to live in exile after communist China invaded their country in 1950.
“Our culture is being destroyed by communist China,” Khechog said.
The one-day festival was held at Central Park.
Block-printed prayer flags decorated about a dozen booths that were filled with Tibetan objects. One booth featured photo essays of Tibetans. Others offered Tibetan jewelry and clothing. A booth featuring momo, handmade steamed dumplings that are prepared for special occasions, was popular with the hungry Boulder crowd.
Tibetan music and folk dances were performed by children and adults.
Nyima Dolma, who has met the Dalai Lama on several occasions, joined her team of four dancers who performed “Sidrik Nasol,” a dance that paid tribute to the enthronement of the Dalai Lama.
“We want to be the best we can because the Tibetan people cannot celebrate his birth in their country,” Dolma said.
Tenzin Phongyal participated in the festival by exhibiting books written by the Dalai Lama. Phongyal is an engineering student at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
He said his family was forced to flee Tibet when he was a child, and he is aware of the decades-long struggle of his people. He said he is hopeful that change will occur in Tibet.
“We are asking for autonomy, not independence. Our culture is getting diluted and we might lose our identity,” Phongyal said. “If we lose this struggle, it’s a huge blow to the world.”
Staff writer Annette Espinoza can be reached at 303-820-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com.
