Dalai Lama arrives to rousing reception by Tibetans

Sukhendu Bhattacharya
Tawang, Nov 8 (PTI) Braving the winter chill,
thousands of Tibetans and locals on Sunday lined up along the
roads leading to the Tawang Monastery and gave a rousing
reception to the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who
arrived here on a four-day visit.

After his arrival in this north-eastern city by a
helicopter from Guwahati, the 74-year-old Dalai Lama,
accompanied by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Kandu,
was welcomed by cheering Tibetans as he drove along the 10-km
stretch from the helipad to the 400-year-old Tawang Monastery.
The Dalai Lama's cavalcade stopped at three places --
old market, Manjusree Vidyapeeth and new market -- as the
spiritual leader blessed the people who greeted him.
Nestled in the snow-capped mountains and perched at a
height of 10,000 feet, this town wears a festive look with
colourful posters with the Dalai Lama's pictures and Tibetan
and Indian flags flying everywhere.
Buildings and houses have been given a fresh coat of
paint and streets and localities cleaned to mark the occasion.
The Dalai Lama's cavalcade took more than 45 minutes
to reach the Tawang Monastery from the helipad.
The Tibetan spiritual leader, who is here for the
first time since 2003, inaugurated a museum inside the Tawang
Monastery. The museum named 'Gadenmamgyallhatsa' contains
historic scriptures of the Buddhist faith. (MORE) PTI SB
SDE


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