Tibetan's remember 8th century Indian seer in vivid ceremony

These traditional dances are performed to celebrate the life of the 8th century Indian seer Padmasambhava, who is revered by Tibetans for his role in spreading Buddhism in Tibet.

The Tibetan community in exile has been living in Dharamshala since 1959 (Photo: AP)

Tibetan Buddhist monks perform a dance called 'cham' wearing traditional masks, at the Sherabling monastery (Photo: AP)

Buddhist devotees pray as they watch a dance drama called 'cham' at the Sherabling monastery, about 70 kilometers (40 miles) south of Dharmsala (Photo: AP)

Padmasambhava was also known as Guru Rimpoche and built the first monastery in Tibet (Photo: AP)

The seer is also considered the second Buddha in Tibet, Nepal, India and Bhutan (Photo: AP)

Sherabling monastery is situated about 70 kilometers (40 miles) south of Dharmsala, India (Photo: AP)