Dharamsala, India, 10 November 2007 (Phayul) - Tibetans and tourists today enjoyed cultural songs and dances of Tibet, Mongolia and Russian Republics of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva in a very relaxed presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama here this afternoon.

Today’s celebration marked the conclusion of a five-day Buddhists Festival of Mongolia and the three Russian Republics in Dharamsala that began Tuesday.

For Russian Buddhists and Mongolians, it was an occasion to celebrate the revival of Buddhism in their country and reconnection with Tibetan people and meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whom they equally revere as their spiritual leader in the world.

It was a celebration unfolding Tibet’s long shared ancient historical ties with the people of the Buddhist regions before the relationship was briefly cut off during the reign of Communism which affected the spiritual and cultural lives of the people in all the Buddhists states.

Senior officials of the Tibetan Government-in Exile based here in Dharamsala, including

Tibetan Prime Minister Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament Mr Karma Choephel and Tibetan Chief Justice Commissioner Mr Namgyal Tsering attended the concluding function of the Buddhists Festival.

Some 400 people from the three Russian Republics and Mongolia have been in Dharamsala, the exile seat of the Dalai Lama, to participate in the Buddhists Festival, the first of its kind ever held here.

The festival is led by Telo Rinpoche the spiritual head of the Kalmyk Buddhists.

The visiting Buddhists communities made a grand long life offering to His Holiness earlier this morning before the cultural show resumed in the Tsuglagkhang courtyard in the afternoon drawing in hundreds of crowd.

The groups also had an opportunity to listen to a special day-long on teaching by His Holiness on Friday.