Himalayan Fair Comes To Berkeley May 19 & 20

Authentic Himalayan arts, antiques and mod-ern crafts, live classical, folk music and dance performances and exotic foods highlight this 24th annual outdoor celebration, a re-creation of a market bizaar, of the great mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Mongolia. The only such event in the world, the Himalayan Fair raises money for well-researched grassroots projects in the Himalayan Regions.

This weekend event offers access to pertinent non-profit organizations providing travel information, health reports, mountaineering assistance, and current news concerning the Himalayas. The Fair is sponsored by the Himalayan Fair Committee.

This year there are rumors of an entertaining "Bollywood" contest, rousing Qawali, Tibetan monk's chanting, food stalls in the streets, traditional Tibetan medicine practitioners, travelers with thankas and bamboo art pieces all the way from Nepal, and important non-profit groups – The Children's Medical Aid Project, Kham Aid Foundation, Tibetan Aid Foundation, Amnesty International, and Joint Assistance Center.

The Himalayan Fair spontaneously originated from a cultural gathering created by Arlene Blum, well-known Himalayan mountain climber who led a successful all-women's ascent on Annapurna in 1978, and whose book Breaking Trail A Climbing Life was published by Scribner, and Lama Kunga, a Tibetan Lama who lives and teaches at the Ewam Choden Center in Kensington, California. The festival began as a way for Himalayan peoples living in the United States to share the artistic and spiritual aspects of their cultures but in the last ten years, has become a fund-raising benefit for small grassroots children's education, medical, environmental, cultural and restoration programs in Tibet, India, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

The Himalayan Fair is a unique experience in harmonious diversity. One ambles among tents and booths scattered under the towering oak and redwood tress of the park. There is spicy aroma of food baking over charcoal, sounds of bells and singing, Tibetan long-horns and children laughing in western and eastern garb. It is a rare occasion where Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Christians and secular folks gather in peace and pleasure.

The Himalayan Fair offers a wide range of accomplished stage performers featuring a range of international groups showcasing classical and folk traditional music, dance and costumes of their cultures.

The Fair's purpose is in sympathy with Millarepa the 11th Century Tibetan Buddhist, poet and hermit saint who said:

To give alms to the needy with compassion
Is equal to serving Buddhas in the Three Times.
All the happiness one has is derived from others
All the help one gives to them
In return brings happiness.