Dear Siddhartha School Supporters,
My name is Sonam Chorol [pictured below]. I am the music teacher at Siddhartha School and I have been working in the school from last six years. I live in Stok, Ladakh, and grew up all my life here.
Ladakh is a cold desert in the northernmost part of India in the Himalayan region, and the majority of the people here practice Tibetan Buddhism. There are people who follow Islam, and a few populations follow Christianity (Protestants), Hinduism, and Sikhism. I am so glad that we the people of Ladakh live peacefully all together.
For me the three things which are highly important to Ladakhi culture are:
1. There is a famous quote in Ladakh, “When there will be no language, culture will be lost, when there will be no culture, we will lose identity.” So the first and the foremost important thing is to preserve Ladakhi language.
2. Today Ladakh is a globally renowned place for its natural beauty but it gives me immense pleasure when I hear from the outsiders that Ladakhi people are so kind-hearted and compassionate! That is because culturally we are raised to be giving, and think of others. It’s in our nature. And I wish the younger generation should also maintain this attitude. After all, our culture is known by our kind nature.
3. And finally, I would like to say that, I being a music teacher, traditional Ladakhi folk music and songs are what people should never forget. Today I am very happy to see that various cultural organizations in Ladakh organize various programs and workshops for the youths so they can participate and learn the rich and beautiful music of Ladakh.
So in my opinion, the three most important things are preserving our language, giving, and passing traditional Ladakhi folk music on to our next kids. I send you warm wishes from Ladakh for this World Day for Cultural Diversity.
Sincerely,
Sonam Cholor
Siddhartha School Music Teacher
