Losar Festival 2012 Kicks off in Himachal

Thousands of Tibetan monks, exiles assembled in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 on the first day of the sacred Losar festival, and offered prayers for peace and ending human rights violations against Tibetans in China.

Special prayers have been planned at the hilltop Tsuglagkhang temple close to the official palace of the Dalai Lama at McLeodganj, to highlight the plight of people of Tibet. The streets are lined with banners and posters depicting photographs of those who have sacrificed their lives in Tibet.

According to the Tibetan lunar calendar, Losar is the first day of the year and traditionally celebrated by Tibetans in a big way.

This year, the Tibetan parliament-in-exile has urged Tibetans living in exile not to celebrate Losar in the traditional manner.