One of the monks, Acharya Lodoe Zangpo, said: Zangpo said, "Early in the morning, we offered long-life prayers and long-life Mandalas in front of His throne. We have done cake-cutting celebrations and now we have done all the prayers for his long life in continuity of Buddha Dharma in this world”

Initiated by Pulitzer nominee Richard Rosenkranz and the Dalai Lama’s younger brother, Tendzin Choegyal, the day not only honours the distinctive values of Tibetan culture but also aims to draw global attention to the persecution, repression and cultural erasure suffered by Tibetans under Chinese occupation

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, belongs to the Gelug sect, the largest and politically predominant within Tibetan Buddhism. However, it is not just his spiritual significance that makes him an unparalleled figure for Tibetans: since fleeing to India, he has become the most relentless symbol of Tibetan resistance, earning international renown. He has also stood as a global pillar of human rights, universal responsibility, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989

Boy monk Nawang Tashi Rapten also participated in the prayers. Raptem was born on 16 April 2018 in Rangrik village of the Tabo region of Spiti Valley in the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. He has been identified as the reincarnation of Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche, the head of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. This school of thought is founded on the first lineages and translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan in the eighth century

Meanwhile, on his birthday, the Dalai Lama arrives at his hotel in New York on June 23, 2024, as he prepares to undergo knee surgery Pic/AFP