Dalai Lama returns to Dharamshala after weeks-long engagement in South India

Tenzin Nyidon 

DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 21: The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama returned to his residence in Dharamshala on Friday following an extensive visit to Tibetan settlements in Bylakuppe and Hunsur in Karnataka, South India. 

The Tibetan spiritual leader was warmly received by devotees who lined the streets to welcome him. At Kangra Airport, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, officiating Sikyong Tharlam Dolma Changra (Kalon of the Department of Education), Dharamshala Tibetan Settlement Officer Kunchok Migmar, and representatives from various Tibetan NGOs greeted him upon arrival.

Before his return to Dharamshala, the Dalai Lama traveled from Bengaluru to Delhi on February 18, where he remained for a few days. On February 21, at around 6:30 AM, he granted an audience in Delhi to Thiksay Rinpoche, the head of Thiksay Monastery in Ladakh. During the meeting, Thiksay Rinpoche extended an invitation for His Holiness to visit Ladakh this summer, which he graciously accepted.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama grants audience to Thiksay Rinpoche in Delhi before his return to Dharamshala on February 21, 2025 (Photo/Thiksay Monastery Facebook)

His Holiness spent over six weeks in South India, making his first visit in seven years to the Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppe, where he stayed at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama in exile. During his stay, he delivered religious teachings and was honored with a long-life prayer ceremony offered by Sera Jey, Sera Mey, and Tashi Lhunpo Monasteries. A key highlight of his visit was the White Tara long-life empowerment, which he bestowed upon an estimated 26,000 attendees at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.

In addition to his spiritual discourses, the Dalai Lama also granted public audiences to 8,021 individuals, including Tibetans from the four major South Indian Tibetan settlements—Bylakuppe, Mundgod, Hunsur, and Kollegal—as well as Indian devotees, foreigners, and members of the Himalayan community. Among those who received his blessings were five centenarians, 993 senior citizens over 80, 606 individuals over 70, and 1,322 people over 60. Additionally, 314 individuals with illnesses or special needs, along with their 609 caretakers, were granted an audience with the Tibetan spiritual leader.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}