Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday extended birthday greetings to the 14th Dalai Lama on his 91st birthday, praising the Tibetan spiritual leader’s enduring commitment to peace, harmony and global well-being.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister said the Dalai Lama’s message of peace and harmony continues to inspire people across the world.
“Warm birthday greetings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His message of peace and harmony has been a guiding force for people across the world. His moral and spiritual strength and his commitment to global good are commendable. Wishing him a long and healthy life,” PM Modi said.
Born on July 6, 1935, in Takster, Tibet, to a farming family, the Dalai Lama was originally named Lhamo Thondup. At the age of two, he was recognised as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama and was taken to Lhasa in 1939. He was formally installed as the head of the State of Tibet on February 22, 1940, and later received the name Tenzin Gyatso.
He assumed full temporal leadership of Tibet on November 17, 1950, at the Norbulingka Palace. Following the suppression of the Tibetan National Uprising in 1959, he fled to India along with more than 80,000 Tibetans, where he has lived in exile ever since.
The Dalai Lama’s birthday is observed annually by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and is attended by followers from around the world.
According to his office, the spiritual leader travelled to Delhi in early June to undergo a left knee replacement surgery before his scheduled summer stay in the Ladakh region.
The celebrations also follow last year’s launch of the CTA’s “Year of Compassion” campaign, which focused on environmental conservation, tree-planting initiatives and the promotion of the Tibetan language as part of efforts to preserve Tibetan culture and heritage.
(With inputs from ANI)
