Seventy-plus Naren Chandra Das was enveloped in a warm hug by the Dalai Lama after they shook hands.
The Dalai Lama on Sunday had a surprise reunion with one of the eight soldiers who escorted him to India 58 years ago after his famous escape from Lhasa. "Looking at him I realise I have grown old," the 81-year-old spiritual leader joked.
Seventy-plus Naren Chandra Das, a former Assam Rifles soldier, was overwhelmed too.
He was enveloped in a warm hug by the Dalai Lama after they shook hands.
"I am very happy to meet the Assam rifles jawan; it has been 58 years," the Dalai Lama said.
It was in 1959 that the 14th Dalai Lama, not even 30, escaped from Tibet and after days of trekking, entered India through the border in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang. Eight Assam Rifles jawans were tasked to escort the Dalai Lama from the border to the foot hills in Assam.
Mr Das lives in Balipara of Assam. "I am really happy to have met him again; that time he was young and I was new in my job and I was tasked to protect him," the retired soldier told NDTV.
This personal meeting was a sentimental aside to what has become a deeply political event, with the Dalai Lama visiting Arunachal Pradesh amid many warnings by China. This is the fifth time since 1959 that the Tibetan spiritual leader is visiting Northeast India.
The Dalai Lama has taken China's objections lightly.
"The relation between India and Tibet is like Guru and his chela (student). They ask me why I call myself son of India - I say why not - my thoughts are from Nalanda; the dal that I eat is Indian. Our relation has been deep, emotional and very strong," he said.
The Dalai Lama's mentor-student analogy may further rattle China which claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of Tibet and routinely objects to any visits by top leaders, officials and diplomats to the area.
Beijing has repeatedly warned India against allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, saying it will cause "serious damage" to bilateral ties.