Centre for Oriental Studies is organising the Tibetan and Mongolian New Year

The Centre for Oriental Studies of the University of Tartu invites everyone to celebrate the Tibetan and Mongolian New Year. This special festival, deeply rooted in Tibetan and Mongolian culture, is marked by unique rituals, traditions, and a joyful atmosphere. For longtime friends of the Centre, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reunite and enjoy a great evening together, while for new faces, it’s the perfect chance to get to know our warm and welcoming community.

The event will be held in Ülikooli 18-226

Special guest will visit the event!

Loten Namling is a Tibetan musician, singer, multimedia artist (including performance and visual arts), curator, filmmaker, activist, and global ambassador for Tibetan culture and heritage. Born in Darjeeling, India, to Tibetan refugee parents, Namling has devoted his life to preserving and sharing Tibetan traditions, both through his music and through his activism.

He studied philosophy at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, and currently resides in Switzerland. Namling has been performing for over 45 years and is widely regarded as one of the finest contemporary and traditional musicians. He received his early training in singing and playing the dranyen (Tibetan lute) from his mother.

As a young boy, Namling often ran to a rocky mountain top high in the Himalayas after school at TCV (Tibetan Children’s Village) to sing to the vast expanse of the Tibetan plateau. His mother once told him, “My son, one day you will travel with your dranyen around the world, sharing Tibetan music and culture.”

Throughout his career, Namling has performed not only traditional Tibetan songs, but also the stories of his life and the fates of the Tibetan people, from ancient times to the present. His performances have taken him around the world—from remote rural villages to concert halls in major cities. He has played in the Arctic Circle, Mongolia, Kalmykia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Japan, Wales, Africa, the USA, Germany, Korea, India, and Norway. His concerts often feature collaborations with regional musicians, connecting Tibetan music withSufi, Indian, and Mongolian.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has described him as “A virtuous and faithfully dedicated musician with a strong voice.” In 2015, Namling founded Porok Karpo, a Swiss-Tibetan alternative rock fusion band, which has gained significant influence across Europe and Tibet. Namling passionately blends traditional Tibetan music with contemporary genres such as blues, rock, rap, and world music, creating a sound that transcends boundaries and connects the spiritual journeys of Tibet to global culture.

Namling’s mission is to preserve and promote Tibetan music, culture, and history, while advocating for the truth of Tibet’s past and present. He has released five albums, including Songs of Tibet, Infinity, and Behind the Two Mountains with Porok Karpo.

In 2013, Namling gained international recognition for his activism with the Journey for Freedom – One Man, One Path project. He dragged a black coffin marked “FREE TIBET” from Bern to Geneva, where he gave a concert in front of the United Nations headquarters. This journey and performance were documented in the 2015 film Tibetan Warrior.

Namling has also made notable contributions to film. He played the role of a guru in Shambhala (2024) and Beresina or The Last Days of Switzerland (1999). His other film credits include Looking for a Lady with Fangs and a Moustache (2019), Vox Pacis: A Challenge to Humanity (2010), Angry Monk: Reflections on Tibet (2005).