The Dalai Lama with other religious leaders during his 81st birthday celebrations at Drepung Monastery.
The 81st birthday of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was celebrated with artists and school children presenting cultural shows at the main Tibetan temple Tsuglagkhang in Mcleodganj.
The celebrations extended all the way to Mussoorie where Happy Valley, the Tibetan settlement in the town, wore a festive look.
The settlement was the first place where the spiritual leader had stopped in India after he fled Tibet in April, 1959 and made it his home.
The Dalai Lama, who is currently in Mundgod, celebrated his birthday at the Drepung Monastery today. He is scheduled to give a teaching on July 13 in Rewalsar (Tso Pema).
He was born in Taktser in China on July 6, 1935 and is the 14th Dalai Lama.
In Dharamsala, a large gathering of Tibetans, foreigners and Indians were present at the temple to mark his birthday.
"Every Tibetan should not only pay heed to His Holiness' precious advice but also channel it into action. Now that the dust has settled, let us take a moment to look forward to our future with a renewed sense of conviction, purpose and action," Home Minister (Kalon) Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang said.
Both the Kashag (cabinet) and the Tibetan Parliament in exile in their statement extended their gratitude to India and its people for their hospitality and support towards the Tibetan people.
A Hindi version of the comic book 'Dalai Lama: Soldier of Peace' by Vijay Kranti and a book (in Chinese) on the life of former political prisoner Lobsang Tenzin was also launched at the event.