The 90th birthday celebrations of the 14th Dalai Lama began on Monday morning at Tsuglhakhang, the main temple in McLeodganj.
Though his official birthday is observed on July 6 according to the Gregorian calendar, the celebrations are being held today as per the Tibetan lunar calendar, which marks his birth on the 5th day of the 5th month.
The inaugural ceremony was organised by the Domey (Amdo) community, natives of the Tibetan region where the Dalai Lama was born. The week-long festivities will be overseen by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), but Monday’s event was a private gathering arranged by the Domey community.
The Dalai Lama arrived at the temple in a golf cart, warmly welcomed by long queues of devotees who had gathered to offer their birthday wishes. The temple was filled to capacity as he made his way to the shrine.
The day’s programme featured traditional Tibetan dance and music performances, along with special prayers for the Dalai Lama’s long life. Tibetan activists also addressed the gathering, highlighting the ongoing freedom movement and continued Chinese aggression in Tibet.
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