Dalai Lama offers prayer at Maha Bodhi temple in Bihar

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday offered prayer at the Maha Bodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment about 2500 years ago.

The Dalai Lama reached Bihar on Monday after concluding his tour of Sarnath in Varanasi, where Buddha had delivered his first sermon after enlightenment.

He visited the Maha Bodhi temple at around 10 am and was presented with a 'khata', the traditional ceremonial scarf, on behalf of the temple authorities.

The Dalai Lama then went to the temple's sanctum sanctorum and spent nearly 30 minutes there praying and meditating, Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee member Arvind Kumar Singh said.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner would stay at Bodh Gaya for around a month, Singh said.

The Dalai Lama's programmes during this period include discourses during January 4 and 7 and again between January 14 and 17, he said adding that people from various places are likely to visit Bodh Gaya to pay obeisance to the spiritual leader.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has instructed the authorities to make adequate security arrangements in the pilgrim town during the Dalai Lama's stay.