Sikkim which is situated amidst Himalayan Hills is a paradise for tourists. Now the state Government has stepped up its efforts to promote many Budhist sites and festivals as tourist’s destinations.

Kagyad chaam is the one of the four forms of masked dances in the state.

Performed by Lamas of Buddhist monastery on the every 28th and 29th day of Tibetan calendar, the dances symbolize exorcizing of evil spirits of previous year and welcoming the good spirits at the dawn of New Year.

During the dance costumed Lamas with gaily-painted masks holding the ceremonial swords jump and swing to the rhythm of resounding drums.

The vibrant dance not just enthralls locals, but foreign tourists as well.

Kagyad dance enacts various themes from the Buddhist mythology and culminates with the burning of effigies made of flour, wood and paper.

A congregation of local Buddhist followers and tourists gather once a year to witness this extraordinary dance.

The Buddhist festivals, which reflect centuries-old tradition of Buddhism in State also contribute to the growth of tourism industry.

According to Sikkim Travel Agent Association General Secretary Lukendra Rasily, “Tourists finds it very very interesting, very different and when they come to Sikkim they go back with lot of memories which are not available easily anywhere in the world.”

“The tour operator is marketing; the Government of India is also marketing through their Incredible India slogan,” he added.

Sikkim has a lot more to offer to the visitors-snow clad mountains, thick green forests and monasteries.

Peace and normalcy have brought in many visitors to the state. Over 3 lakh tourists visited Sikkim this year alone.

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Now here’s an intriguing concept.  Did Christ spend his teenage years in India studying Buddhism?

The spotlight is back on Jesus Christ and his India connection as the world celebrates Christmas Friday. Some historians believe he spent 17 years of early life – from the age of 13 to 30 – in India learning Buddhism and the Vedas.

“There are references that Christ’s family (parents) settled in Nazareth, but the next time he appeared in Nazareth, Jesus was 30. He was said to have been growing in wisdom and stature in the missing years,” British film producer Kent Walwin told IANS.

Here to receive the Dayawati Modi Award for arts, culture and education in 2009, Walwin’s latest project, “Young Jesus: The Missing Years”, will explore early years of the messiah, which are not described in the Gospels.

According to Walwin, his movie is “on the Apostolic Gospels, which says Jesus was last seen in West Asia when he was 13-14 years old”.

The first part of the movie will be based on Gospels and the second part of the movie will be “pure conjecture based on archival material”, the filmmaker said.

There are several references to the India connection.

Read More

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• Petition to Enact True Birth date of Christ (thepetitionsite.com)

War can only be understood and put an end to if you and all those who are concerned very deeply with the survival of man, feel that you are utterly responsible for killing others. What will make you change?

- J. Krishnamurti

Shimla, Dec 05 : Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is still hopeful of returning to Tibet in this lifetime and hopes to be reborn many times after his death, according to a book published recently published…

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