US Ambassador Inaugurates 'Tawang Festival' in Arunachal Pradesh

Tawang, October 29, 2019:

US Ambassador to India India Kenneth Ian Juster on Monday inaugurated the four-day Tawang Festival in Arunachal Pradesh, in the presence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

Juster became the second US envoy to visit the festival held in a contested area claimed by China to be part of Tibet. In 2016, Richard Rahul Verma, the-then US Ambassador to India, had visited the same festival leading Beijing to oppose the trip while New Delhi termed it as routine.

The Tawang Festival is an annual event, which is in its seventh edition this year, and seeks to boost tourism in the mountainous State. Tourism Department of Arunachal Pradesh celebrates this festival to promote the tourist attractions and traditional values.

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Tawang festival processions will be started with a religious tradition known as “Sebang”. It means monks of Tawang town move to the festival spot in rallies from the Tawang monastery, this religious tradition is known as “Sebang”.

During his inaugural address, Khandu also said that in the past three years only 336 US tourists visited Arunachal Pradesh and sought the embassy’s help to increase it. Kiren Rijiju, Lok Sabha MP, was also present and lauded the organizers for making the festival a success.

This year, the Tawang Festival will be held from October 28-31.

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