Arunachal CM Pema Khandu, MP Tapir Gao to attend Dalai Lama's birthday

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Lok Sabha MP Tapir Gao will attend the 90th birthday celebrations of the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamshala.

The two-day celebration will be held on July 5 and 6. In a post on X, Khandu said, "On board the Vande Bharat Express to Dharamshala along with Hon'ble MP Shri @TapirGao ji to join the historic celebration of the 90th Birth Anniversary of His Holiness the 14th @DalaiLama. It is an honour to be part of this momentous occasion to offer our heartfelt tributes to a towering symbol of peace, compassion, and humanity. Grateful for the comfort and convenience of this modern train journey - a true reflection of India's growing infrastructure strength."

While the Dalai Lama's birthday falls on July 6 as per the Gregorian calendar, festivities began on June 30 in accordance with the Tibetan calendar. Around 30,000 to 40,000 people are expected to attend the celebrations.


The Dalai Lama is the most prominent figure in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, had an emotional reunion in 2017 in Guwahati with Naren Chandra Das, an Assam Rifles jawan who received him after his escape from Tibet in March 1959. Das, a member of the 5th Assam Rifles battalion, had escorted the Dalai Lama to Balipara in Assam.

Dharamshala is also hosting an international Buddhist conference, bringing together senior monks and scholars from various traditions. The event will conclude with an address by the Dalai Lama, in which he is expected to speak about the future of the Tibetan reincarnation tradition.

Khandu has previously highlighted the deep historical and spiritual links between India and Tibet, particularly through Buddhism.