dalai lama visit ladakh

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Dalai Lama travels to remote Ladakh region bordering China

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama arrives at the airport in Leh, Ladakh, India, Friday, July 15, 2022. The visit is also his first since India split the high-altitude region from disputed Kashmir and took direct control of it in 2019 while revoking the entire territory’s semiautonomous status. A year after that change, Indian and Chinese troops came close to war in Ladakh and ever since they have been locked in a military standoff along their disputed border. (AP Photo/Tenzin Choejor)

FILE- Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama gestures to indicate that he is in good health during a religious talk at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharmsala, India, Friday, March 18, 2022. The Dalai Lama on Friday, July 15, 2022, arrived in the remote Ladakh region bordering China where he received a rousing reception. He will stay in Ladakh for about 45 days. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia, File)

Devotees wait to welcome Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Leh, Ladakh, India, Friday, July 15, 2022. Thousands of people lined both sides of the road outside the airport in the cold desert region’s Leh town to welcome the Dalai Lama, who is touring outside his base in the northern Indian city of Dharmsala for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. He will stay in Ladakh for about 45 days.(AP Photo/Tenzin Choejor)

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SRINAGAR, India (AP) — The exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Friday arrived in India’s remote Ladakh region bordering China where he received a rousing reception.

Thousands of people lined both sides of the road outside the airport in the cold desert region’s Leh town to welcome the Dalai Lama, who is touring outside his base in the northern Indian city of Dharmsala for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. He will stay in Ladakh for about 45 days.

The Dalai Lama has made Dharmsala his headquarters since fleeing from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. India considers Tibet to be part of China, though it hosts Tibetan exiles.

Officials said at least 20,000 people gathered all along the road to the Dalai Lama’s summer palace, some 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the airport. The ride took the spiritual leader about 90 minutes, since the entire stretch was filled with people jostling and some dancing in traditional attire.

They welcomed the spiritual leader by waving religious flags and Tibetan flags and showering the road with flower petals. At least 7,000 Tibetans live in Ladakh.

“Happy. Once more (I have) come (to) Ladakh,” the Dalai Lama said in tangled English as he entered his palace. “These people showing from heart this.”

The visit is also his first since India split the high-altitude region from disputed Kashmir and took direct control of it in 2019 while revoking the entire territory’s semiautonomous status. A year after that change, Indian and Chinese troops came close to war in Ladakh and ever since they have been locked in a military standoff along their disputed border.

China criticized India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for greeting the Dalai Lama on his 87th birthday earlier this month, saying New Delhi should stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China’s “internal affairs.”

India’s Foreign Ministry hit back and said: “It has been a consistent policy of our government to treat him as a guest in India and as a respected religious leader who enjoys a large following in India.”

Before his last visit in 2018, the Dalai Lama would frequently travel to Ladakh and deliver religious sermons in the region, which is famous for its Buddhist monks in mountaintop monasteries, sparsely populated and stunning landscapes and elusive snow leopards prowling rugged terrain.

China doesn’t recognize the Tibetan government-in-exile and hasn’t held any dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2010.

China says Tibet has historically been part of its territory since the mid-13th century, and the Communist Party has governed the Himalayan region since 1951. But many Tibetans say they were effectively independent for most of their history, and that the Chinese government wants to exploit their resource-rich region while crushing their cultural identity.

The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he only advocates substantial autonomy and protection of Tibet’s native Buddhist culture.

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Dalai Lama to visit Ladakh in first trip since pandemic’s start

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will visit India’s northwestern territory of Ladakh later this year in his first trip away from his residence since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, sources said this week.

The visit, which will take place between July and August, was made at the invitation of a high-level delegation from Ladakh, a strategically sensitive area where thousands of Indian and Chinese troops clashed in June 2020, with deaths reported by both sides in the fighting.

News of the trip was announced on Monday by delegation members Thiksey Rinpoche, a former member of the Indian parliament’s upper house, and Thupten Tsewang, also a former Indian MP and now president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association.

“We made the request during our special audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and he agreed to visit and bless devotees in Ladakh this summer,” Thiksey Rinpoche said following an April 18  meeting at the spiritual leader’s residence in Dharamsala, India, the seat of Tibet’s exile government, the Central Tibetan Administration.

The Dalai Lama, who last visited Ladakh in 2018 and spent 19 days there, had been unable to visit again in recent years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Thupten Tsewang, also a member of the delegation. “Now, the people of Ladakh will be very happy to hear this news, and we are all very delighted,” Tsewang added.

Banned by Chinese authorities in Tibet, celebrations of the Dalai Lama’s July 6 birthday have been held by large gatherings in Ladakh in recent years, sources say.

Concerns have been raised over the advancing age of the now 86-year-old spiritual leader, with Beijing claiming the right to name a successor after he dies, and the Dalai Lama himself — the 14 th in his line — saying he will be reborn outside of areas controlled by China.

Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force more than 70 years ago, and the Dalai Lama and thousands of his followers later fled into exile in India and other countries around the world following a failed 1959 national uprising against China’s rule.

Tibetans living in Tibet frequently complain of discrimination and human rights abuses by Chinese authorities and policies they say are aimed at eradicating their national and cultural identity.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.

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Dalai Lama travels to remote Ladakh region bordering China

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — The exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Friday arrived in India's remote Ladakh region bordering China where he received a rousing reception.

Thousands of people lined both sides of the road outside the airport in the cold desert region’s Leh town to welcome the Dalai Lama, who is touring outside his base in the northern Indian city of Dharmsala for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. He will stay in Ladakh for about 45 days.

The Dalai Lama has made Dharmsala his headquarters since fleeing from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. India considers Tibet to be part of China, though it hosts Tibetan exiles.

Officials said at least 20,000 people gathered all along the road to the Dalai Lama's summer palace, some 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the airport. The ride took the spiritual leader about 90 minutes, since the entire stretch was filled with people jostling and some dancing in traditional attire.

They welcomed the spiritual leader by waving religious flags and Tibetan flags and showering the road with flower petals. At least 7,000 Tibetans live in Ladakh.

“Happy. Once more (I have) come (to) Ladakh,” the Dalai Lama said in tangled English as he entered his palace. “These people showing from heart this.”

The visit is also his first since India split the high-altitude region from disputed Kashmir and took direct control of it in 2019 while revoking the entire territory's semiautonomous status. A year after that change, Indian and Chinese troops came close to war in Ladakh and ever since they have been locked in a military standoff along their disputed border.

China criticized India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for greeting the Dalai Lama on his 87th birthday earlier this month, saying New Delhi should stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China’s “internal affairs.”

India’s Foreign Ministry hit back and said: “It has been a consistent policy of our government to treat him as a guest in India and as a respected religious leader who enjoys a large following in India.”

Before his last visit in 2018, the Dalai Lama would frequently travel to Ladakh and deliver religious sermons in the region, which is famous for its Buddhist monks in mountaintop monasteries, sparsely populated and stunning landscapes and elusive snow leopards prowling rugged terrain.

China doesn’t recognize the Tibetan government-in-exile and hasn’t held any dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2010.

China says Tibet has historically been part of its territory since the mid-13th century, and the Communist Party has governed the Himalayan region since 1951. But many Tibetans say they were effectively independent for most of their history, and that the Chinese government wants to exploit their resource-rich region while crushing their cultural identity.

The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he only advocates substantial autonomy and protection of Tibet’s native Buddhist culture.

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Dalai Lama in 'little Tibet' Ladakh: Why his first trip in 2 years is significant

Updated Jul 15, 2022, 17:25 IST

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Dalai Lama begins Ladakh visit; government functionary terms it 'religious' tour

LEH/JAMMU/NEW DELHI: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Friday began his month-long visit to Ladakh and said India-China border disputes should be resolved through "talks and peaceful means" as use of military is an outdated option.

The spiritual leader's visit to Ladakh is expected to rile China as it comes amid the military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at several friction points in eastern Ladakh.

A top government functionary said the visit of the Dalai Lama to Ladakh was a "completely religious" one, and no one should have any objections to the tour.

"India and China are most populated countries and neighbours. Sooner or later, you have to solve this problem (border disputes along the Line of Actual Control) through talks and peaceful means," the Dalai Lama told reporters in Jammu before leaving for Ladakh.

"Use of military force is outdated now," he said.

The government functionary said it is not for the first time that the Dalai Lama is visiting a border region.

He said the spiritual leader has been to Ladakh as well Arunachal Pradesh several times in the past.

"The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader and his visit to Ladakh is completely religious.

Why should anyone have objections to the tour," the government functionary said.

Earlier this month, China criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for greeting the Dalai Lama on his 87th birthday, saying India should stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs.

However, India rejected the criticism and asserted it is a consistent policy to treat the Dalai Lama as an honoured guest of the country.

This is the Dalai Lama's first visit outside Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh in the last two years as he was mostly confined to the hill station due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The Dalai Lama had visited Ladakh in the past.

He had visited Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) too but he could not undertake any visit in the last two years due to the pandemic," the functionary said.

The 14th Dalai Lama was given rousing reception in Leh as hundreds of people stood up on the two sides of road to welcome his cavalcade from Leh airport to Jivetsal Photang.

In Jammu, he avoided a question on Kashmir issue and said, "It is complicated issue. I do not know about it".

Replying to another question about objections raised by China to his visit in Ladakh, he said this is usual but Chinese people have not objected to it.

"Some Chinese hardliners consider me separatist and reactionary. They always criticise me", he said.

The Tibetan spiritual leader said the Chinese people have now realised that the Dalai Lama is not a separatist.

As far as meaningful autonomy and Tibetan Buddhist culture preservation is concerned, he said, more Chinese people are showing respect for Tibetan Buddhism.

In a message to the world, the Dalai Lama said there is no point to fight each other.

"The fight happens due to 'my nation, my country, my idealogy (thinking)'. That is too narrow-minded an approach."

He said people live together whether one likes or dislikes it.

"These are little family problems too as all human beings are all brothers and sisters," he said.

On Thursday, the Tibetan spiritual leader said in Jammu that more and more people in China are beginning to realise that he is not seeking "independence" but meaningful autonomy and preservation of the Tibetan Buddhist culture.

"Some Chinese hardliners consider me a separatist and a reactionary and always criticise me. But now, more Chinese are realising that the Dalai Lama is not seeking independence and only wishing China (to give) meaningful autonomy (to Tibet) and (ensure) preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture," the spiritual leader said.

The Dalai Lama has been living in India ever since he fled Tibet in 1959.

The Tibetan government-in-exile operates from India and over 1,60,000 Tibetans live in the country.

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What to expect from the Dalai Lama's visit to Leh

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will be in Leh from July 15 after a gap of four years. He will be staying at Choglamsar village on the banks of the Indus River for a month and impart teachings to Buddhists and locals

After a gap of four years, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama will visit Ladakh from 15 July , marking his first official tour outside his base in Dharamshala since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This visit is also taking place just three days before the 16th round of Corps Commander-level meetings between India and China, which according to sources is expected to start on 17 July.

What to expect from the Dalai Lama’s trip?

Since China has always objected to the Tibetan spiritual leader’s visits to the region, the security has been tightened ahead of his trip to Leh.

According to a report by The Indian Express, which cited a source in his office in Dharamshala, said that the spiritual leader will stay for about a month at Choglamsar village on the bank of the Indus river.

During his tour, the Dalai Lama is expected to visit the famous Thiksey monastery in Leh.

According to a report by The Tribune, the Dalai Lama will remain in seven-day isolation after reaching Leh and will deliver sermons afterwards.

“A lot of people and organisations are requesting a meeting with the Dalai Lama. But we are taking each and every precaution,” President of Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) Thupstan Chhewang said, as quoted by the newspaper.

As per The Indian Express , he will impart teachings, known as summer teachings in Leh, to Buddhists as well as people from other communities.

The Dalai Lama and China

Beijing has always had an issue with the Dalai Lama since he took shelter in India. In the 1950s, when China illegally occupied Tibet, the Tibetan Spiritual leader had to take shelter in India. The Dalai Lama tried to advocate for a mid-way negotiation with China to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet.

The Tibetan spiritual leader’s trip is likely to irk China as Beijing had recently criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending wishes to the Dalai Lama who recently celebrated his 87th birthday, stating that India should stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China’s internal affairs.

Conveyed 87th birthday greetings to His Holiness the @DalaiLama over phone earlier today. We pray for his long life and good health. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2022

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Beijing on 7 July that “the Indian side should fully recognise the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama”.

He said that India should abide by its “commitment to China, speak and act prudently and stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China’s internal affairs.”

The External Affairs Ministry had slammed China’s criticism and said that it has been a consistent policy of the government to treat the Dalai Lama as a guest in India. After arriving in Jammu on Thursday, the Dalai Lama spoke to the media about China and the ideology Chinese people hold.

The Dalai Lama Thursday said he has been trying to protect Buddhist culture and that most people in China have realised that he is not seeking independence within the People’s Republic of China and want preservation of meaningful autonomy and independent Buddhist culture.

“Some Chinese hardliners consider me separatist and reactionary, so they always criticise me. But now more and more Chinese have realised the Dalai Lama is not seeking independence, but within the People’s Republic of China, meaningful autonomy and Tibetan Buddhist culture preserve,” the Dalai Lama told reporters in the Union Territory of Jammu. With inputs from agencies

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Dalai Lama assures summer 2023 visit to Ladakh

Leh, Dec. 17: On invitations from delegations from the region as well as for health reasons, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is to again visit the Union Territory of Ladakh, during the summer of next year, reported media on Dec 17.

A delegation consisting of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) led by its vice-president C Dorjey Lakrook, the Ladakh Gonpa Association led by its President Acharya Stanzin Wangtak, and the Thiksay Khanpo Rinpoche met the Dalai Lama at his residence in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh (HP), and requested him to visit Ladakh in Summer 2023, the report said.

And the Dalai Lama has assured the delegation that he would visit Leh and Nubra when the Monsoon season begins in Dharamsala.

* Click to Follow Voice of Ladakh on WhatsApp *

The report also said that a few days earlier, a delegation from Ladakh’s Sham region led by the Chairman/Chief Executive Mr Tashi Gyalson of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) member from Ladakh, Mr Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, had also called on the Dalai Lama and requested his visit during summer next year.

The report added that the Dalai Lama assured his visit to Sham as requested.

During his two-month or so summer sojourn in Ladakh in summer this year, the Dalai Lama expressed a desire to visit the Union Territory next year, citing the local people’s devotion and the suitability of the place’s dry weather for his health when Dharamshala will be in the thick of monsoon.

It is also confirmed that Dalai Lama will preside over the religious congregation of Lamdon Yarchos Chenmo 2023 in Leh, capital of Ladakh, the report said.

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Dalai Lama reaches Dharmshala after his successful visit to Ladakh

Written By: ANI

| Published on: Aug 28, 2023

ANI Photo | Dalai Lama reaches Dharmshala after his successful visit to Ladakh

Tibetan spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama returned to his home in exile in Dharmashala after his successful visit to Ladakh. Hundreds of Tibetans including monks and nuns gather at Kangra airport on Monday morning to give a warm welcome to their beloved spiritual leader. Tibetan artists welcomed him with traditional opera dance and songs. Speaking to media persons at Kangra airport, the Dalai Lama said that he returned to Dharamshala after visiting Laddakh and he is in good health. Dalai Lama left Dharamshala on July 8 and returned after spending over a month in Ladakh. Tenzin Tsundue, an exiled Tibetan said, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama is approaching Dharamshala after his visit to Ladakh. He is coming back after about two months and we have come here to see him and to welcome him. He is our spiritual leader and it’s really important to see him and to welcome him here in Dharamshala.” Tenzin Nyidon, an exile Tibetan said, “We all are gathered here today as his holiness the dalai lama is approaching here after his Laddakh visit and we all are very happy to welcome him and to see him. Even though we live in Dharamshala, we feel very blessed and happy to see him whenever he goes somewhere or returns here, so we come here to get his blessings.” While staying in Ladakh, the Dalai Lama drove from Shewatsel Phodrang into Leh city, where he made a pilgrim’s visit to the Jokhang, the principal temple there, according to the Dalai Lama’s website.  “Having arrived in Ladakh,” His Holiness told the gathering, “today, I’ve come here to the Jokhang. We all rely on the following verse from ‘Entering the Bodhisattva Way’. He also visited the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) on July 26, where the Dalai Lama addressed the gathering and said, “My Dharma brothers and sisters,” he began. “Today, you presented your songs and dances with delight, confidence and pride. More importantly, you have done so with heartfelt faith. I’d like to thank you.” “Tibetans have a special bond with Chenrezig, the Great Compassionate One. Since the time of King Songtsen Gampo, we have had our own written language. Then, during the reign of Trisong Detsen, the great Abbot and foremost scholar of Nalanda, Shantarakshita was invited to the Land of Snow. He advised that since we had our own language, we should translate Indian Buddhist literature from Sanskrit and Pali into Tibetan,” he added.  During his stay in Ladakh, he also isited the Great Buddha Statue at Stok and Ladakhi Muslim Community, as per the Dalai Lama’s website. 

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Dalai Lama set to visit Jammu and Ladakh

The visit is unlikely to go down well with Beijing, which on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for greeting the Dalai Lama on his 87th birthday and said that New Delhi should stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China’s “internal affairs”.

The Dalai Lama is set to visit the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh during July 14-15, the Tibetan spiritual leader’s first trip outside his base in Dharamshala since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic more than two years ago.

People familiar with developments said the Dalai Lama, who has been closeted in Dharamshala for the past two years because of the pandemic, is expected to be in Jammu on July 14 and in Ladakh the following day.

The visit comes against the backdrop of the dragging military standoff between India and China in Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), with both sides arraying more than 50,000 troops each in the region. China usually bristles at any visits by the Tibetan leader to regions such as Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, where it claims territory on the Indian side of the LAC.

Also read: PM Modi wishes Dalai Lama on his 87th birthday; Richard Gere, Himachal CM join celebrations | Watch

The Dalai Lama is expected to visit the famous Thiksay monastery in Leh and a border region where Chinese troops had put up banners on their side of the LAC in July last year, asking people not to celebrate the spiritual leader’s birthday, the people said.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday dismissed China’s criticism of the Indian prime minister greeting the Dalai Lama on his birthday on Wednesday, and said the Tibetan leader was an “honoured guest”.

He told a weekly news briefing: “It is a consistent policy of the government of India to treat His Holiness Dalai Lama as an honoured guest in India and as a respected religious leader who enjoys a large following in India.”

The Dalai Lama is “accorded all due courtesies and freedom to conduct his religious and spiritual activities in India”, and the Tibetan leader’s birthday is celebrated by many of his followers in India and abroad, he added.

“The birthday greetings by the prime minister to his Holiness on his 87th birthday should be seen in this overall context,” Bagchi said.

Hours earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian contended that India should “recognise the anti-China separatist nature” of the Dalai Lama, and abide by its “commitment to China, speak and act prudently and stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China’s internal affairs”.

The Chinese government routinely criticises any official interaction – even phone calls – between the Dalai Lama and Indian leaders, terming them an infringement on Beijing’s internal affairs. This was the second year in a row that Modi greeted the Dalai Lama on his birthday since he became prime minister in 2014.

Also read: Dalai Lama India's guest, says MEA as China criticises Modi's greeting him on birthday

Zhao also lashed out at US secretary of state Antony Blinken for greeting the Dalai Lama, saying China is firmly against any engagement by any country with the Dalai Lama. He added the Dalai Lama is a “political exile disguised as a religious figure”.

“We urge the US side to have full understanding of the important and sensitive nature of Tibet-related issues, respect China’s core interests, have a clear understanding of the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalai group and abide by its commitment on Tibet-related issues, stop engaging with Dalai Lama in any form and stop sending any wrong signal to the outside world,” he said.

Beijing has consistently dismissed Western allegations of human rights violations in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, arguing that the poor region has instead flourished under the Communist Party of China. Zhao repeated this argument on Thursday.

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How Dalai Lama's visit to Ladakh may get China's goat

The spiritual leader is expected to stay in the region for a month when he would meet his followers, deliver sermons and meditate. while china may fret and fume, india is likely to maintain its usual measured cool on the matter..

The 14th Dalia Lama, the spiritual leader and former head of state of Tibet, is landing in Jammu on July 14, before making his way to Ladakh for the first time in over four years. This is the first time that the Dalai Lama will visit the newly formed Union Territory after increased hostility at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The spiritual leader is expected to stay in the region for a month when he will be meeting his followers, delivering sermons and meditating.

Predictably, the visit has already drawn flak from China’s Communist Party (CCP) leadership. Maintaining that the Dalai Lama is a “political exile disguised as a religious figure,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian last week criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for greeting the 14th Dalai Lama on the occasion of his 87th birthday.

"Tibet affairs are China's internal affairs, which brooks no foreign interference. China is firmly against any engagement by any country with the 14th Dalai Lama,” Zhao told a media briefing. Zhao added that “the Indian side should fully recognise the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama.”

Tensions at the border 

The arrival of the Dalai Lama, or Tenzin Gyatso as he is known spiritually, comes days ahead of the 16th round of talks between the Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army at the commander-corps level. The talks are part of the long ongoing disengagement process following the increased tensions at the LAC and the Galwan clashes of 2020 .

The heightened tensions had finally culminated in a brawl in Galwan Valley, which resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and 20-35 Chinese casualties, according to US sources. While partial disengagement had occurred in Galwan, Hot Springs, and Gogra, the military standoff still continues, with more than 50,000 troops deployed by either side.

China has long claimed large swathes of Indian territories, including Aksai Chin, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and other smaller areas. As a result, the country is quick to criticise any travel from Indian leaders to these areas. But the visit of Gyatso to Ladakh, which China claims India had illegally set up, is expected to exacerbate tensions between the two.

ALSO READ | India ranks 3, China on 2 among top military spenders: SIPRI report

China had been quick to criticise the Dalai Lama’s visit to Ladakh in 2018 as well. China views any official interaction with the Dalai Lama as a threat to its sovereignty as the country doesn't recognise the Dalai Lama as the head of state of Tibet. China’s discontent over any official interactions between the Dalai Lama and any Indian officials in the month-long trip may set back upcoming round of disengagement talks.

The itinerary

The Dalai Lama’s trip is his first major outing since the pandemic struck in 2020. Having mostly stayed put in Dharamshala’s Mcleodganj suburb, the spiritual leader was called to visit Ladakh at the behest of leaders like former MP Thupten Tsewang and other prominent Buddhist personalities such as Ladakh Buddhist Association President Thupstan Chewang and Thiksay Monastery’s Thiksay Rinpoche.

“His Holiness the Dalai Lama accepted the request of invitation made by the Ladakh Buddhist Association. The entire arrangement is being made by the Ladakh Buddhist Association and the local government,” Stanzin Konchok, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Councillor from Chushul, eastern Ladakh told the Indian Express.

ALSO READ | 2 years after Galwan clashes, talks continue — as does military buildup

“He will be staying at Choglamsar village on the banks of the Indus river and impart teaching to Buddhists and local communities. So far, it has not been decided how long he will stay there. We will know about that after he reaches the village that is at a high altitude. It depends on how he feels there,” said Tenzin Taklha, Gyatso’s personal secretary.

What India says

India’s response to Chinese criticism has been measured for the most part.

“It is a consistent policy of the government of India to treat His Holiness Dalai Lama as an honoured guest in India and as a respected religious leader who enjoys a large following in India,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam  Bagchi said when asked about the Chinese reaction to PM Modi’s greeting to the spiritual head at a media briefing.

India has hosted Gyatso in Dharamshala since 1959, when he arrived in India with his retinue to save himself from being killed, arrested or captured after the 1959 Tibetan uprising. Making his way to Dharamshala, the Dalai Lama set up the Tibetan government in exile and served as its political head. Soon after, hundreds of thousands of Tibetan refugees crossed over to India.

CCP interference

The terse relationship between Gyatso and the Chinese stems from the year 1950, when Chinese troops marched into Tibet to annex it after the signing of the Seventeen Point Agreement by the Tibetan government under duress from the Chinese military. While the Dalai Lama, aged under 20 at the time, toured China and met with leaders from the CCP, including Mao Zedong, his negotiations with officials over self-rule in Tibet met with little success.

Though the Dalai Lama has rejected calls for Tibetan independence, in line with his calls for the ‘Middle Way Approach,’ even possessing his pictures or works can lead one to be arrested in China.

ALSO READ | India may launch Russian S-400 missile to defend threats from Pakistan, China, says Pentagon

After his exile, China has tried to exercise considerable influence over the remaining Tibetan Buddhists in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The CCP in 1995 kidnapped six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the reincarnation of the 11th Panchen Lama as chosen by the 14th Dalai Lama. His whereabouts are unknown even today.

It is the Panchen Lama who chooses the reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama, and the CCP substituted its own choice of the Panchen Lama in an effort to subvert the reincarnation process and the selection of the next spiritual head for Tibetan Buddhism.  

Below is the public schedule of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. All events are free and open to the public unless noted. For ticketed events, people are requested to contact the organizers directly or visit the listed websites for further information on tickets.

For all teachings in Dharamsala, registration is required in order to attend. Registration begins a few days before the actual start of the teaching and ends the day before the first day of the teaching. Registration hours are from 9 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm at the Main Tibetan Temple (Tsuglhakhang) courtyard. For registration purposes, all foreigners need to bring copies of their passport, Indian visa and 'C' form. People living in India need to bring copies of their aadhaar card. A nominal fee of Rs. 10 will be charged.

For your information, as a long-standing policy His Holiness the Dalai Lama does not accept any fees for his talks. Where tickets need to be purchased, organizers are requested by our office to charge the minimum entrance fee in order to cover their costs only.

Please note that the dates given below are subject to change .

Teaching in Dharamsala, HP, India

April 19 - 20, 2024

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give teachings on 100 Deities of Tushita Heaven (gaden lhagyama) in the mornings at the request of Lamiin Gegeen Teaching Mongol Sunchoi Organizing Committee at the Main Tibetan Temple.

For further information please see dalailama.com/live

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