New Tibet Museum – Reviving the Past

Tibetans always fear that their history, culture, and religion are all on the verge of extinction in their homeland in Tibet with continued Chinese occupation and no hope even for autonomy let alone Indolence. But lakhs of Tibetans are trying to keep the same alive in India with a museum inaugurated at Dharamshala headquarter of their government in exile. The unique museum displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. The basic aim is to disseminate the uncensored story of Tibet to the world besides preserving its rich cultural heritage.

Director of the museum Tashi Phunstok said the museum was aimed at reclaiming their right to tell their own stories. It highlights Tibet’s historical, political, environmental, and international importance through archives, photographs and personal testimonies apart from focusing on educating people about Tibet culture, democracy in exile, teachings and legacies of the Dalai Lama.

The museum is an essential medium to garner international attention to the political concerns of Tibet. To strengthen its presence and impact, it was recommended standardizing the use of the museums to include audio in different languages and establish virtual tours of the exhibitions. Kalon Norzin Dolma, Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR said that the museum’s exhibition hall is an important place of knowledge where Tibet’s past history and current reality are formed through evidence of images, documents and materials.

This new 9000 sq feet Tibet Museum in Gangchen Kyishong, the seat of Central Tibetan Administration, will depict Tibet in a historic, political and international context, showcasing its unique culture and contemporary developments.

The new museum will offer new education programs to suit people of all ages and from around the world. Through its exhibitions and programs, the new museum will seek to engage a global community about the history, culture and present situation of Tibet and its diaspora, while inspiring appreciation for the Tibet struggle and the issues currently facing people in Tibet.

The Tibet Museum’s visitors include not only Tibetans, but also political and religious delegates, international tourists, the increasing number of Indian tourists and scholars visiting Dharamshala, and students. As the Museum is situated within India, there will be a particular focus on the strong interconnection between India and Tibet’s Buddhist heritage, and the significance of Tibet to both India and China’s futures.

Furthermore, as decades have passed since the first exiles left Tibet, there are now many Tibetans who have spent their entire lives outside Tibet. The Tibet Museum seeks to offer them a connection to Tibet with its rich culture and traditions. This means greatly expanding not only the museum’s exhibitions, but also its educational and outreach programs, which are impossible to carry out in the current space.

Source: Himalayan News Chronicle