Shimla, May 26 -- Tibetan Buddhist monks and members of the Tibetan exile community, along with Buddhists across the Himalayan region, marked the sacred Tshechu festival with special prayers for global peace and harmony, while expressing concern over the situation in West Asia and praying for peace.

The festival, one of the holiest observances in Tibetan Buddhism, is dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, who is revered for introducing Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century.

'Tshechu' literally means "the tenth day" in the Tibetan lunar calendar and is observed with prayers, tantric rituals and sacred Chham masked dances in monasteries across Himalayan Buddhist regions in the 4th Month of Saka Dawa.

Celebrations we...