Ladakh celebrates 80th birthday of the Dalai Lama

Our Correspondent

Leh, July 6 

Like many other parts of the world, people of Ladakh along with the Tibetans living in the region celebrated the 80th birthday of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

A cultural function was jointly organised by the Ladakh Buddhist Association, All Ladakh Gonpa Association and the Chief Representatives of Central Tibetan Administration, Ladakh, at Jeye Tsal near Shey village to celebrate the occasion.

Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, who is the spiritual leader of one of the monastic centres of the four religious traditions of the Tibetan Buddhism, the Sakya sect, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Trizin Rinpoche is on a 20-day-long visit to Ladakh. He had arrived in the region on June 25 on the invitation of the Ladakh Buddhist Association and the All Ladakh Gonpa Association. 

Private schools and other establishments observed a holiday on the occasion and people were seen organising various events to celebrate the occasion. 

The Dalai Lama was born on July 6, 1935 to a peasant family in Takster village in the Amdo region of Tibet and was enthroned as the 14th Dalai Lama at the age of five years.

Sakya Trizin Rinpoche said the Dalia Lama was greatly revered as human manifestation of compassion.

Chief Executive Councilor, LAHDC, Leh, Rigzin Spalbar said the communal harmony in the region had strengthened ever since the Dalai Lama’s visit to Ladakh.