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Tawang dons festive look to receive the Dalai Lama
Bijay Sankar Bora
Tribune News Service

Guwahati , November 7
The Tawang district administration and the local Buddhist community have worked in complete coordination to ensure perfect arrangements for the Tibetan spiritual leader in exile the Dalai Lama’s visit tomorrow.

Paramilitary soldiers walk in a market area, decorated in preparation for the arrival of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, in Tawang on Saturday. — PTI

Over 800 monks from across India and Bhutan have converged at Tawang Monastery. The ancient monastery has been spruced up with daryangs (religious flags), while the buildings in the hill town have been painted afresh to welcome the Dalai Lama who will be in the state till November 15, including four days in Tawang. The spiritual leader will also visit Dirang, Bomdila and Itanagar.

“His visit is primarily social and religious,” said Tulku Rinpoche, the head lama (priest) of Tawang Monastery. “He will first come here and offer prayers. In the afternoon, he will visit a school of the monastery and inaugurate a library besides addressing the students,” said Rinpoche.

The next day Dalai would inaugurate a hospital in the town for which he had donated Rs 20 lakh. He is then scheduled to preach the whole day from the “Yidghachoezin” (a place of worship), adjacent to a football ground.

“We’re doing our best to accord him a grand reception. As part of it, we will present him with a memento made of silver,” Rinpoche added. Dalai Lama last visited the monastery in the year 2003. In 1959, he had escaped from Tibet through Tawang to avoid wrath of the invading Chinese army.