INDIA: THE YEAR-LONG CELEBRATIONS MARKING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF ENTHRONEMENT OF DALAI LAMA CONCLUDE IN DHARAMSALA
Record ID:
1375238
INDIA: THE YEAR-LONG CELEBRATIONS MARKING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF ENTHRONEMENT OF DALAI LAMA CONCLUDE IN DHARAMSALA
- Title: INDIA: THE YEAR-LONG CELEBRATIONS MARKING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF ENTHRONEMENT OF DALAI LAMA CONCLUDE IN DHARAMSALA
- Date: 20th November 2001
- Summary: DHARAMSALA, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA (NOVEMBER 20, 2001) (ANI) LV OF BUDDHIST SPIRITUAL LEADER DALAI LAMA PRAYING MCU DALAI LAMA PRAYING SV BUDDHIST MONKS OFFERING PRAYERS SV SWEETMEATS OFFERED MCU TIBETAN MONK PRAYING SV PEOPLE SITTING AND PRAYING SV TIBETAN ARTISTS PERFORMING A DANCE SV THE DALAI LAMA SITTING SV/MCU PEOPLE WATCHING CEREMONY (2 SHOTS) SV/MCU BUDDHISTS MONKS AND VISITORS BRINGING GIFTS TO THE DALAI LAMA (2 SHOTS) LV OF DALAI LAMA ACCEPTING GIFTS AND FELICITATING MONKS (2 SHOTS) SV OF A MUSIC BAND PLAYING SLV THE DALAI LAMA STANDING ON THE PODIUM WITH HIMACHAL PRADESH GOVERNOR SURAJ BHAN NEGI CU DRUM BEING BEATEN MCU DALAI LAMA WATCHING PEFORMANCE SLV TIBETAN MUSIC GROUP PERFORMING SV CROWD SITTING MCU (Tibetan) BUDDHIST SPIRITUAL LEADER , THE DALAI LAMA SAYING "We have derived our strength and fearlessness from religious principles. It gives us hope and shows us light at the end of the tunnel. So I believe that religion guides and helps a person in many ways." LV OF CROWD SITTING MCU WOMAN SITTING WITH A YOUNG BOY SLV PEOPLE CLAPPING LV OF ARTISTS DANCING WEARING MASKS MCU THE KARMAPA LAMA SITTING SV ARTISTS SINGING LV OF DALAI LAMA SITTING WATCHING PERFORMANCE
- Embargoed: 6th July 2005 20:48
- Keywords:
- Location: DHARAMSALA, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Religion,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVAAAG411MPIRNQCT9Z0RNGL5RN
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: The year-long celebrations of the 60th anniversary of enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama have conclude in India's northern city of Dharamsala.
The year-long celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of enthronement of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, have come to an end in the northern town of Dharamsala.
Special prayers, led by heads of four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, were held on the occassion which also marks the 50th anniversary of the spiritual leader assuming state responsibility.
The Dalai Lama in his address to the gathering on Tuesday (November 20) emphasised the need for preserving Tibetan culture and religion.
"We have derived our strength and fearlessness from religious principles. It gives us hope and shows us light at the end of the tunnel. So I believe that religion guides and helps a person in many ways," said the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, was born Lhamo Dhondrub on 6 July 1935, in a small village called Taktser in northeastern Tibet. Born to a peasant family, he was recognized at the age of two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor the 13th Dalai Lama, and thus an incarnation Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion.
The Dalai Lama was asked to assume political responsibility of the Tibetan affairs in 1950 when he was just 15 years old.
It was in 1950 that China's military occupied Tibet.
Nine years later, the Dalai Lama alongwith thousands of his followers fled to India and set up his government-in-exile in Dharamsala town.
The Dalai Lama, a Nobel peace laureate, has been campaigning for real autonomy for Tibet.
In recent years, he has softened demands for impoverished Tibet's independence from China, saying it has much to gain from being part of China, provided the government gave it a meaningful right to preserve its culture, religious freedom and a "high degree of autonomy." The Dalai Lama says there should be a referendum of the Tibetan people to decide their own future.
In the crowd during the celebrations on Tuesday, was the Karmapa Lama, the spiritual leader of one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, ranking only behind the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama in the Tibetan spiritual hierachy.
The present Karmapa - Ugyen Trinley Dorje - was also the first high lama to be recognised by China's communist government.
China argues that it has vastly improved the economic conditions of the once-closed region.
While his government-in-exile has no international recognition, the Dalai Lama has garnered widespread international sympathy and financial support.
The Tibetan population in Tibet is around six million.
About 134,000 Tibetans live in exile, the vast majority in India or Nepal, and of them less than half were born in their homeland. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None