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Good News Sikkim, August 2015

A new cultural attraction for both locals and tourists in Darjeeling has come up-The Himalayan Tibet Museum.

Set up by the efforts of Manjushree Centre of Tibetan Culture (MCTC) at Gandhi Road in Darjeeling, the museum is blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama who has also donated precious artefacts to the museum that opened on July 2.

The artefacts donated by the His Holiness the Dalai Lama include the diamond sutra text which contain teachings of Lord Buddha handwritten in gold ink, prayer bell, amulet and statues of Lord Buddha.

People visiting the museum can learn more about the Tibetan and Himalayan culture through different exhibits. Some of the items on display are a must watch and the visitors can understand more about Potala Palace, Tibet through the models. Another interesting knowledge one can gain is from the models on display of the three great ancient religious kings of Tibet.

MCTC president Ngawang Tenzin Gyatso shared that the Himalayan Tibet Museum aims to promote and exhibit the richness of Himalayan culture which also includes Tibetan culture.

“We want to display the entire culture of the Himalayas through this museum. This is a place where they can come and reflect on the culture of the Himalayas. Moreover, with many people also interested in Buddhism, we feel that the museum will also provide them with information about this religion along with the cultural richness of the Himalayas and Tibet,” said Gyatso.

Exhibits at the museum related with Himalayan culture are various musical instruments found in the Himalayas like rahebera (Kashmiri violin), Dra-yen (Tibetan guitar), saranagi and madal. Traditional attire of the people in the Himalayas and their utensils are also on display.

The museum also provides information on Tibetologists who worked in Darjeeling like George Nicolas De Roreich, Rahul Sanskriti and Sarat Chandra Das.

Sharing more details about the museum, Gyatso says: “Most of the models that are in museum have been made by a local artist with the other displays donated by various people.”

The total cost for setting up the Himalayan Tibet Museum came to 36 lakh. Former Darjeeling MP (Lok Sabha) Jashwant Singh contributed Rs. 25 lakh while rest were collected from donation.

This amount does not include the artefacts that His Holiness the Dalai Lama donated for the museum which is priceless for us, said Gyatso.

The entry ticket to the museum costs Rs. 30 for the visitors while it is Rs. 15 for school students.