DHARAMSHALA: Following a recent earthquake in Tibet, hundreds of Tibetans in exile They gathered to mourn and offer special prayers throughout the night for the earthquake victims.
Tibetan monks and nuns led special prayers at the main Tibetan temple, Tsuglagkhang, in the mountain town of Dharamshala in northern India.
The four leaders Tibetan NGOs including the Tibetan Youth Congressthe Tibetan Women’s Association, Students for Free Tibet and the National Democratic Party of Tibet jointly organized the special prayer service here on Wednesday night.
Dechen Phakdon, a Tibetan activist, told ANI: “We heard about the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Dingri County in Tibet. We are sad and devastated to have lost more than 128 lives of our Tibetan brothers and sisters. We sympathize with them. And for twelve hours we prayed for them in the main temple. It is the home of so many Tibetans in exile, especially where His Holiness the Dalai Lama resides.
Phakdon added: “It is an overnight prayer. In our tradition and culture, we believe that if you pray for those who have lost their lives or for the families of the earthquake victims, it will illuminate their next path…”
Tenzin Lekdhen, an activist from Students for a Free Tibet, told ANI: “We are here praying for the departed souls and those injured in the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Dingri county in Tibet. We are here in solidarity with those who have passed away, so we will do this all-night prayer session and it is special because we will do it here at the Dalai Lama Temple, the headquarters of the government in exile here in Dharamshala and here We have exiled Tibetans of all ages. We do it from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am…”
Notably, an earthquake struck a remote region of Tibet on January 7, killing at least 126 people and injuring more than 100, and tremors were felt in Nepal, Bhutan and parts of northern India, Al Jazeera reported. The earthquake was followed by 49 aftershocks.
More than 1,000 houses were destroyed in the earthquake that hit Tibet on January 7, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Xinhua news agency. The epicenter of the earthquake was Shigatse, one of the most sacred cities in Tibet, according to Al Jazeera. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake measured 7.1 on the Richter scale, while the China Seismic Network Center (CENC) recorded a magnitude of 6.8.