Gorsam Kora festival honours friendship between India, Bhutan

Thimphu [Bhutan], March 29 (ANI): The Gorsam Kora festival, also known as the festival of friendship between India and Bhutan, honours the bond between the two countries. The festival was celebrated at the Gorsam Chorten Stupa in Arunachal Pradesh’s Zemithang, according to The Bhutan Live.

Zemithang village in the Tawang district is the last administrative division of India on the border with Tibet. It shares its western border with Bhutan. This is also the place where the 14th Dalai Lama had his first rest after fleeing from Tibet in 1959, according to The Bhutan Live.
The festival, which showcases the rich cultural and religious heritage of the region, draws pilgrims from both India and Bhutan. The three-day festival started on March 18 and ended on Tuesday.

The 93-foot-high Gorsam Chorten Stupa was built in the 13th century AD and is modelled after the Boudhanath Khasti Stupa of Nepal. Thousands of devotees visit during the Gorzam Kora festival to observe the virtuous occasion of the last day of the first month of the lunar calendar.

Modelled after the Boudhanath Khasti Stupa of Nepal, The 93-foot high Gorsam Chorten Stupa was built in the 13th century AD. Thousands of devotees visit during the Gorzam Kora festival to observe the virtuous occasion of the last day of the first month of the lunar calendar.

The festival was organised by the local community of Zemithang with the help of the civil administration. The event commenced with an opening prayer by His Eminence Padam Shree Thengtse Rinpoche and prayers at Khinzemane holy tree. It is believed that the Khinzemane sacred tree was planted by the 14th Dalai Lama when he came to India in 1959.

Various events were conducted by the Indian Army, including a pipe band and martial dance performance. These were followed by cultural dance performances by locals. To have better engagement with the local population, activities were conducted like the Run for ‘Plastic Free Zemithang’, a Medical camp and a small trek along the pristine Zemithang Valley. These activities were part of the government’s ‘Vibrant Village Program’. Numerous pilgrims and Lamas from Bhutan, Tawang and nearby regions attended the festival.

India’s growing startup ecosystem benefits Bhutan as it will provide more opportunities for budding entrepreneurs to learn from experienced business people through the Bhutan-India Startup Summit, The Bhutan Live reported.

In recent years, the Indian government has been actively engaging with Bhutan to connect the startup ecosystems of the two countries. In the last week of February 2020, the Indian Embassy organized the first-ever Bhutan-India Startup Summit in Thimphu.