Capital celebrates as Dalai Lama turns 89

New Delhi: July 6 is a special day in Majnu Ka Tilla in north Delhi. On Saturday, the whole settlement was decked with balloons and buntings and there was a heady smell of incense in the air. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama turned 89 years old on the day, and people in Delhi’s own mini Tibet shuttered their shops and gathered in large assemblies to celebrate the auspicious occasion.
The Tibetan Children Village School hosted a cultural event to mark the birthday celebrations of the revered leader. They had put up flags and were dolled up in their traditional attire, the chuba. After a special prayer for the health and well-being of the religious leader, the primary students sang the national anthems of Tibet and India.
Prahlad Singh Sawhney, member of the Delhi Assembly and area representative, was the chief guest. He spoke highly of the Dalai Lama and expressed curiosity about Tibetan culture, rapt as he was as the schoolchildren and folk artistes performed the Gorshey dance to traditional songs.
The MLA also listened with interest to the life story of the Dalai Lama as the narrator read out some quotes of the Tibetan leader for the students to learn about the significance of peace and compassion in their lives. One of the sayings of the Dalai Lama that the narrator highlighted was, “Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from our own actions.”
Traditional Tibetan delicacies, including dresil (sweet rice) and po cha (butter tea), were served to everyone present, among them the many who had braved the sweltering heat and humidity to travel from different places to express their adoration and reverence for their guru. They recalled how the Dalai Lama continued to promote peace and happiness not only among his own people, but also in the wider global community.