Former MLA and BJP Leader Ravi Thakur Honored by Gompa Committee at Rewalsar Tsechu Festival in Mandi. 

Mandi:

Former MLA and BJP leader Ravi Thakur from Lahaul and Spiti participated in the annual Rewalsar Tsechu festival in Mandi district today. During the event, the Gompa Committee honored him with a traditional Thangka painting as a mark of respect and appreciation.

The two-day event, which marks the birth anniversary of Buddhist Guru Padmasambhava, saw the presence of Sakya Rimpoche, who was invited to deliver spiritual teachings. Ravi Thakur expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the Tsechu festival, where he experienced a devout and devotional atmosphere, and was fortunate enough to receive blessings from Sakya Rinpoche.

Thakur also highlighted that the teachings and sermons given by Rinpoche provided valuable insights on world peace. The event attracted a large number of Buddhist followers from the region and beyond, as they came to receive blessings and teachings from Rinpoche. Along with the spiritual teachings, cultural programs, including Cham Dance, were also part of the celebrations.

Ravi Thakur reminisced about the historical significance of Rewalsar, where Guru Padmasambhava, revered as the Buddha of this age, meditated for eight years. The event also holds significance as the Dalai Lama had previously attended the Tsechu festival, further enhancing its spiritual prominence.

This year, Sakya Rinpoche, the 42nd Ratna Vajra Rinpoche from the Sakya Buddhist Monastery in Dehradun, is delivering the teachings. The festival has attracted Buddhist monks, nuns, and followers from the Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Leh-Ladakh, Zanskar, and other Himalayan regions, all of whom come together annually to receive teachings and spread the message of world peace.