Arunachal: Pema Khandu calls on Dalai Lama, gifts his first dwelling after fleeing Tibet to trust
Khandu met the 89-year-old spiritual leader at the latter's residence in McLeodganj near Dharamsala, where he participated in special prayers seeking long life for the Buddhist monk.
DHARAMSALA- Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday had an audience with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, and invited him to visit Arunachal Pradesh.
He also announced the gifting of a ‘Phodrang’ (meaning palace in Dzongkha language) that was used as the Dalai Lama’s temporary residence in Tawang, a revered seat of Buddhism in Arunachal Pradesh, after he fled from Tibet following Chinese invasion in 1959, to the Dalai Lama Trust.
Khandu met the 89-year-old spiritual leader at the latter’s residence in McLeodganj near Dharamsala, where he participated in special prayers seeking long life for the Buddhist monk.
“Humbled and grateful for a warm audience with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at his residence… I felt deeply blessed to receive his compassionate blessings,” Khandu wrote on X.
“During our heartwarming conversation, I invited His Holiness to visit Arunachal Pradesh, and he graciously accepted, saying he would come whenever he feels the call,” he added.
A spokesperson for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said the Arunachal Chief Minister participated in the ‘Tenshug’ ceremony offered by the Monpa community for the Dalai Lama at Tsuglagkhang, the main Tibetan monastery in McLeodganj. The five-day prayers will conclude on Saturday.
The Dalai Lama is expected to visit Arunachal Pradesh in the near future, marking a significant moment for the people of the state who share a deep reverence for his spiritual leadership.
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Aides of the spiritual leader believe the Dalai Lama shares a deep emotional bond with Arunachal Pradesh as it was the place through which he entered India after his escape from Tibet on March 31, 1959, and was received by Indian officials who escorted his entourage to Bomdila.
Tawang, a picturesque town located at an altitude of more than 11,000 feet, is home to one of most sacred Buddhist monasteries. The place is spiritually important for Tibetan people as the sixth Dalai Lama was born in the 17th century at the Urgelling Monastery near Tawang.
If the Dalai Lama travels to Arunachal Pradesh, it would be his eighth visit to the northeastern state after visits in 1983, 1996, 1997, twice in 2003, 2009, and 2017.
